As I drift through another week in the fog of uncertainty that is hospitality during the pandemic, it is time to take stock, figure out where I stand and what’s to come. I have had some good luck regarding a job though, the day before my interview at a supermarket I received a phone call from the BFG, my good luck was a stark reminder of the scale of this viruses onslaught. They are turning the stadium into a hospital to deal with the growing numbers stretching our NHS, this is work but its bittersweet, its come from the pain and suffering of thousands throughout the world. As I see it, its a chance to help out, a chance to do something and feel vaguely relevant during these darker times.
In comparison to the NHS staff who are on the frontline stemming the spread of this virus, I could never do enough. If ever a time has come to see the benefit of teachers, nurses and the services its now. Maybe after this kids will want to grow up to be like these heroes.
The BFG had a call from the higher powers telling him of this upcoming plan, as he listed the vague facts he knew of dates and numbers it was obvious his mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour. As I felt the pressure of unemployment ease it was for only a few fleeting moments before being told it wasn’t happening for a few weeks. This is how I have ended up in No Mans Land. If I had gone to those interviews and taken a position I would be working for a supermarket earning some money, but that would have taken a job from someone who needs it, really NEEDS it. Don’t get me wrong I need it as the savings run down and hardly anything is coming in but this could be the difference of someone eating or not. That weighed on my conscious during this decision. So here I am……waiting, waiting, waiting.
It sounds selfish to say as I think of my own situation but I really need them to open it so I can get work. If not I have fucked myself royally as all supermarkets are staffed up. From what I can gather from vague summations of he said she said, is that these pop up hospitals are for non virus patients who are deemed too vulnerable to stay in the same hospital so they are giving them a safe area. All this sounds very logical and a fantastic decision by somebody high up. So on the face of it, it seems like I am doing a good thing but for it to happen the virus has to get worse, the numbers have to get higher and more pain and suffering is going to happen. From media reports this is going to escalate no matter what, for the next weeks as we reach our peak numbers, the isolation, fear and unknowing will become a regular occurrence. This is why the government are printing money like never before, funding for the worst and turning political manifesto on its head.
So I have no work for now, the date the stadium has to be ready for is fast approaching and bittersweet I shall return to work, doing the craft I practise and love. That will mark the end of the longest unemployment for myself in 18 years, possibly longer. If reports are to be believed it’s a when rather than an if.
The want to go back to work isn’t purely financial, far from it. If I had wanted money I would sack the upcoming work off and would have gone to a supermarket. Its the feeling of doing something to help during all of this. Our industry doesn’t get to work from home, the government has set up an 80% payment of workers wages and 80% of self employed (over a year) so many people are sitting OK during this. The self employed support is not perfect and being less than a year forging my own path I am not eligible for any support. This pandemic has cost me, no doubt. It has cost me my wedding, my stag, my van funds, my savings, all my shares (not many) have lost money, so unless the chancellor helps first year business people this has been an unfortunate time for me. BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE A LOT WORSE OFF THAN I!.
This costly holiday retreat to my own house has allowed me to think a bit, to ignite a little, its even let me do the jobs I have been putting off and I have spoken to more of the street than ever before. No I still haven’t painted the living room but tomorrows another day. The POSITIVE beyond positives is I have got to spend time with my fiancée (just postponed wedding) and my two amazing boys. As we have to home school them due to lockdown, I have got to see another side to them. I get to see them work out problems, paint pictures and yearn to learn. We go on our ONE walk for daily exercise ( like something out of a North Korean diary) and its just in the local woods but they run around, get excited to find rocks to throw them in a pond. We do Disney yoga and Joe Wick workouts together, play Fortnite, bounce on the trampoline, cook together, learn the dinosaur A-Z song and most of all we laugh. Its hard to be bitter or angry about these weeks without work when if I took a moment of gratitude I can see how much light I have in a world turning darker by the day. There are people out there scared for or mourning loved ones, remember that next time you want to bitch because your favourite pasta isn’t available, or because you cant go for a pint for a short period of time.
As this week comes to an end I am a mix of emotions, full of gratitude, sorrow, anxiety and excitement. In a time when people don’t know how to feel I am probably just like everyone else. Anxious this upcoming work could fall through, grateful I have work coming up, sorrow at why the work is needed.
As Anthony Robbins says “it takes pain to start an action”. This started action was running a ready to cook delivery service where I deliver food that customers just need to warm through. I have even sold a few. People get honest, fresh meals with no preservative bollocks in. Pulled pork, BBQ beef, fresh lasagne, salads, slaws and more. This is giving delicious food to people in self isolation, people who need the emotional connection to something because this Covid-19 has taken something we all take for granted and that is human contact. If just for a moment I can take them somewhere emotionally from the food, I have done what I set out to do. For parents who want to get kids involved I have created fresh pizza kits, again delivered. Ready to shape and make they get homemade dough, sauce and proper mozzarella. This has got me excited, its another element to an already large (if temporally suspended till further notice)range of food services but damn it, its made me realise how much I love to cook and come up with concepts to connect to the customer. My mind is racing for how to connect with isolated people next week, next week is ROAST DINNERS. The food of emotional comfort and a safe place whilst the world becomes ever more dangerous.
As this ramble loses track, I’ll try to bring it back by saying even in this dark time we can find light, we can think of the future and be fluid in the approach. Yes, its bad now but when we come out of this let us be better. Lets use this time to develop, to appreciate loved ones and prepare for a better world. Today isn’t the end of our story, its the beginning of our comeback story.
happy eating bitches
FOOD ANARCHY 