Here’s to 2021!
Well, we’ve turned the page on another year, and are already deep into the first quarter of 2021. 2020 will go down in history as one of the worst ever, or maybe one of the best ever, depending on your perspective. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way the world works, for better or worse. And it’s not just about ‘can we work from home’ or not. Most all industries and sectors of the economy have been affected one way or another. Business have closed, been forced to change hours and staffing, other whole industries have been killed off altogether. Meanwhile, some industries have reported a record year, and despite everything, housing and construction projects continue to not only move forward but to thrive.
What will the rest of the year hold for our country? Will the vaccine roll-out help get us back to normal? Will some things ever come back? Will I ever get to eat at a buffet again? In the same breath, we are told optimism abounds due to the new vaccine, yet the new South African variant of the virus is even more contagious and deadly, and we’re told the vaccine isn’t effective against it! Why can we eat at a restaurant, go to church and get our hair cut, but we can’t go to a concert or a hockey game? If restaurants can have 35% capacity in their dining rooms (soon to be 50% again), why are all fast-food restaurants still Drive-thru only with NO indoor seating? If the restaurants have lost workers due to cutbacks, why does the government still pay them more to NOT work, than they would earn if they were back at their jobs?! And how long can the government keep handing out money before they run out? Hasn’t anyone wondered if this is sustainable?
This past year has been maddening, for certain. But, business continues to take place, goods and materials need to be moved, and trucks are still on the road delivering things to people every day. We’re happy to be a part of the business of the industrial economy, and consider our customers, drivers and partner carriers every day heroes working to make the future a little brighter. Here at Stevens West, we certainly don’t have all the answers for life’s bigger questions, but we’ll still be here working hard every day for our customers, continuing to do the work that we love to do!
