My grand-daughter recently had a driving test. Between us, we worked hard on the lead-up to the test, especially reverse parking. That was a toughie for Abbi. Likely a toughie for most.
The day of the test, we presented at the Motor Vehicle testing facility. She met with the Tester, a nice young fella. He gave her some words of advice, stuff like "stay calm, I’m here to observe, not to criticize", among them.
At the end of the talk he asked if she had a mask, told her it was mandatory and instructed her to wipe down specific surfaces on her vehicle, notably the passenger side door handles, inside and out.
She was to wipe the seat and the headrest along with the gear shift and parking brake handle. And, he supplied the wipe. A single wipe...
She did as requested, although I would be surprised if it amounted to much. The wipe she was given had a 4 minute contact time and I’m sure the surfaces didn’t stay wet for the required time.
Before the Tester got in the car, he looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know what the fuss is about….we have no new cases'. And with that he donned a face shield and got in for the ride.
We know that the face shield is designed to protect access of covid-19 through the eyes, but without filtering the mouth and nose, does nothing about air intake.
I thought to myself, how long will we get away with pretending to do the right things? Why go through the motions when, with a little diligence, you can do a thorough job of reducing your risk?
With the second wave coming at us fast and strong - especially in Ontario and Alberta... It is more important than ever that we all stop pretending and do the right thing.
We need to:
Educate ourselves and each other on the facts - not rely on facebook or google.
Get the best products for each job - inferior products will not help slow the spread.
Use products the right way - even the best product will be ineffective if it is not being used the way it was intended.
Ask for help if we don't know - we don't know what we don't know but connecting with experts to help and support us will help avoid those blind spots.
We have the opportunity to do this right a second time. We did a great job slowing the virus in the spring, but it meant shutting down. Closing businesses. Keeping kids home. Working from home. Staying away from friends and family. We were an example to the world of how to slow things down if we all came together and did what we needed to do.
We have had months to prepare. To source the right products. To ask the right questions. To get prepared for the second wave.
Well its here now.
Did we do what we needed to do?
Will we be able to slow the spread without shutting down the economy again?
Do we have the right tools this time?
Did we set ourselves up for success?
Do we have support if we run into challenges?
I am not so sure.
Abbi's driving test scenario was just one of the many times I have seen our community think they are doing the right thing, when in fact, they are only offering false confidence to the people they serve.
It seemed to me as I observed her in the parking compound that Abbi’s test was touch and go, two attempts at reverse and two at parallel. But, I am happy to report that she got her license, I got a big hug and everyone was safe.
We are #canadastrong and we can beat this. We can show the world that when we work together, we can overcome any challenge. But we have to be willing to work together, to educate each other, to choose to do better, to ask when we don't know or are unsure.
If you are needing help, unsure of the products you are using, or being asked to use by your employer, reach out. We are here to support our communities, to answer questions, to help you navigate this uncertain second wave. Together, we can make it through.
Call us today (709) 753-6850 - we are here to help protect the health and well being of our fellow Canadian's and business.
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