Blog

Happy Fourth Anniversary?

March 25th, 2024 by Kenneth Abrahams

It was four years ago that America shut down, following in the footsteps of China, Italy, and others. COVID 19 had arrived on our shores, taken hold, and forced the US to close up shop. Originally, we were all told to hunker down and isolate for 2 weeks to flatten the curve and then (or so it seemed) it would be business as usual. With the initial shutdown hitting in March, many colleges and universities announced either starting Spring Break early or extending it by a week or two. Very few schools, Tufts University being one, made the painful decision to shut down the campus and go remote for the rest of the academic year. Others were soon to follow. When I walked out of my office in mid-March, I had no idea that I would begin to work remotely and as of this writing, I have not returned to the office. It was a time of great uncertainty, fear, and concern. After all, what would become of a live entertainment and event company when social gatherings were now off the table?

Of course, we are still here today, a very changed company but still alive and well. More on that later. It also began my weekly blog writing journey. For me, it was very inexpensive therapy. For more than 2 years, the blog was my way of keeping in touch with people and chronicling what was going on in the world, at FUN, and with me. On occasion, people would reach out and comment or share the blog with others. Sometimes I go back and read pieces that I wrote earlier, just to remind myself what it was like. In the early days, the pieces took hours or, at times, days to crank out and then Debi would spend a significant amount of time editing them. With a lack of events, we both had the time. Now as things have gotten busy again and after cranking out about 200 of these pieces, the writing usually takes less time and there are fewer edits each week. In 2024, if I chose to, Chat GPT, or some other form of AI, could write it for me. For better or for worse, I still choose to do this the old-fashioned way.

Rapidly approaching my 64th birthday, I have seen many things that have been life changing, world altering events. Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon and the “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” statement. Watching the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrate shortly after liftoff in 1986. Both Dr. Martin Luther King’s and Robert Kennedy’s assassinations in 1968. Of course, the attacks on America on September 11, 2001, and the beginning of the search for Osama Bin Laden. All these events have had a significant impact on this country and, of course, me, personally. There are two things in my lifetime that have changed the world significantly and perhaps permanently. First is the change in technology. Making computers and mobile devices more affordable and far more accessible to the average person has not only changed the way that we operate, but it has also changed the way that we think and process information. There is growing evidence that it is rewiring our brains as well. Second on the list is COVID. So much has changed, much of it not for the better, since COVID 19 surfaced.

It may appear that things have returned to “normal,” but that is far from the truth. Whether we are talking about business, education, or life, in general things have changed and, in some cases, permanently. Many of us have suffered the loss of loved ones, family members, or friends. Even though it was over four years ago, I still have vivid memories of people not being able to properly say goodbye to those closest to them. Stories and videos of the last few moments of someone’s life ending with their family on cell phones miles away in the presence of well-meaning nurses but still not family. Companies (ours included) now have staff that are either fully remote or in a hybrid situation. COVID, for some, caused them to shift priorities, leading some to leave the workforce all together while others found or created businesses that allowed them to work from home with the added benefit of flexible scheduling. The pandemic has fundamentally changed more than a few people, especially the young. More and more students show and express anxiety, isolation, depression, and loneliness in far greater numbers than before the pandemic. Schools at every level are not only trying to make up for lost time academically, but they are dealing with these mental and emotional challenges as well. It is not an easy time to work in academia.

There are things about the early parts of the pandemic I miss. It seemed as if people were kinder and more caring. Neighbors kept an eye on their neighbors, especially those who were elderly or infirmed. Some people were terrified to go to the store, so others volunteered to go for them. I turned 60 in April of 2020 and took full advantage of Senior Shopping Hours at stores and would often shop for others while I was out. For one of the few times in my life people held teachers, first responders, and the staff of hospitals in the high regard that they should have always been held in. Time seemed to slow down. Even though I was worried about the business, it was nice to be able to work at a slower pace and, hours wise, work a far more normal schedule. Walks in the morning and at night with our dog Gunner were awesome until he sadly passed away. There seemed to be more time with friends and our little golf group played weekly, as opposed to the once a month or so we get out now. Walking around the neighborhood, we would see couples or families out wandering around almost nightly, and it was so much quieter with far less traffic on the streets. I do miss the serenity of those days.

FUN has also changed, as I alluded to earlier on. With the arrival of the pandemic, we saw the departure of some wonderful staff. It was a mix of folks that had been with us for years while others had just joined. Hiring, which had always been hard, now seemed darn near impossible. We lost our staff that didn’t mind doing long road trips and had to go back to our roots and work primarily in the northeast, except for our speakers who still are able to work coast to coast. There is far less predictability in what we do. Post COVID there seemed to be a lot of money for employee and student engagement, with much of the cash infusion coming from Uncle Sam. In late 2023 and into 2024 that money is gone, and the purse strings are even tighter than before the pandemic.

March of 2020 seems like a lifetime ago. In many respect things appear to be “normal” or as they were in 2019, but that is far from the case. Drive into many major cities at rush hour and it feels as it has for years with clogged highways and bumper to bumper traffic, yet there are buildings with incredible amounts of unused space available for rent. Colleges are still struggling to find students interested in leadership positions with clubs and organizations. Many students entering college today seem well prepared academically, but not ready socially or mentally.

Happy 4th anniversary COVID 19. You were, and continue to be, an unwelcome guest at any party.

A note from the author:

Thanks to all of you that have read this blog over the last 4 years. Whether you read weekly or occasionally, it is greatly appreciated. Our purpose in publishing this on a weekly basis is to help you learn more about FUN and the people that work there. We also hope that on occasion it will make you smile, get you to think and provide some entertainment. Keep on reading and feel free to share it with friends and family. Until next week, thank you.

To find out more about the company go to our website www.funent.com you can also go to this link to sign up for our newsletter which comes out about 6 times a year    https://funent.com/subscribe-to-the-funny-pages/.  Our newsletter will tell you more about the company and the products and services we offer as well as some games, things to do, and the occasional cooking tip.