A New “BC”?

“BC”

For generations some religions knew this as an abbreviation for “Before Christ” vs. “AD” (“Anno Domini”) which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord” and refers to the birth of Jesus.

But for a new generation, “BC” may become known as “Before Coronavirus.”

For many, the recent period BC was pretty good. We went about our daily lives, maybe feeling stressed (real or imagined) by responsibilities from school, work and family, but we found time to exercise, go to a movie, and wine and dine when the mood struck us.

But the immediate time since the novel Coronavirus seeped across the world has been quite different. Our new daily routines included “Social distancing,” quarantines, even full out lockdowns, as mankind attempted to “flatten the curve” of the Covid-19 spread. We consciously avoided familiar forms of greetings — even among family members — of hugs and handshakes (a practice that may disappear completely). We began to see entertainment and education delivered with all the technical quality of a VLOG, we binged on TV and whatever food we could find in the house or have delivered, and for those who needed any excuse not to go to the gym the virus made the decision easy.

Economically the time since BC has been, and will continue to be, destructive. Unemployment skyrocketed as small businesses closed, large industries — like travel and hospitality — saw their markets disappear, and hermits got comfortable shopping for everything online. The government robbed Peter to pay Paul to lessen the pain, but until there’s a corporate mindshift towards sustainable employment versus shareholder value it will be a long time before the number of people working reaches its BC levels.

Of course, the most devastating part of all this has been the loss of life. BC we had our loved ones; we could visit, we could call, we could look forward to celebrating special events and holidays. But now there is a growing number of families who will only have BC memories of those they care about. And it’s heartbreaking to know that some people passed away alone, unable to be treated, consoled, or comforted in their final moments.

This issue transcends boundaries — political, geographical, philosophical — and mankind, as the dominant species on the planet, must become better prepared to handle such unprecedented events. I understand we couldn’t anticipate the need for 10’s of thousands of ventilators, but industries could react quicker to retool and create what is needed. Financially, companies should have an emergency fund to be able to ride out downturns in business. Having 3-6 months of savings (and eliminating debt) is one of the first things a financial advisor or credit counselor tells an individual, and the same rule should apply to companies. The US economy BC was supposedly the greatest ever, so why aren’t we better prepared financially?

I’m writing this at the end of March, and by all accounts (I watch and listen to six different news sources) we haven’t seen the full effect this virus will have on our society. I pessimistically anticipate struggles ahead, and optimistically hope for a return to some semblance of life BC.