Week 1

I’ve been meaning to write about this current time in our lives for over a week now. To say things have been crazy would be the greatest understatement of my life. Just last Wednesday, March 18, we were meeting with Senior Manager, Daniel Sharpe, as he shared that Vanguard was currently investigating all avenues for Vanguard personnel to continue working and to remain healthy during the rapidly evolving impact of the Coronavirus, COVID-19.

Just an hour later, the team next to me was packing boxes up, moving their desktops home, something us Vanguard advisors never thought would be possible. The execution was flawless over the next 48 hours. We got everyone home safe and sound to continent supporting our clientele when they needed us most. Sure, we had a few technology glitches, but to move over 10,000 employees home who have never worked out of their homes before in less than 48 hours was remarkable. More on work from home later.

I constantly carry a glass half full attitude, but recently, I found myself carrying a level of concern that was foreign to my nature. A concern for family, friends and society. What happens if my beloved grandfather or parents get sick? When will I see family next? Don’t we need human interaction to thrive? Then I regained my exposure and my hard wiring kicked in. We will get through this. It will be hard. But we will get through this. We are all going to be asked to make sacrifices that we have never made before. This event will shape us into better people and give us perspective that we will hopefully carry for the rest of our lives. We will grow closer to loved ones and depend on people we’ve never depended on in the past.

It’s currently 11 p.m. on Friday, March 27. My work computers are on, but I am typing on my IPad with a Wild Turkey 101 in hand. Pandora is playing Tyler Childers in the background. My goal is to create short recaps of what life will be like during what may be a once in a generation event. Comparisons to the Great Depression, World War II and many other frightening events have been made. The impact on our society and culture will be significant. We have been resilient in the past, why wouldn’t we be resilient here?

It’s time to embrace isolation and to understand ourselves in a way that we have never been challenged to before. It’s time to lean on family and friends when times get tough. If we focus on what we can control and let our worries lie in the hands of those beyond our power, we will be just fine. The human spirit is the most powerful force in the world. It’s time to understand and learn about life in the unknown.