I’ll spare you the Coronavirus recaps and regurgitating all the information we have been constantly bombarded with every day. If you’re anything like me, it’s beginning to get tiresome, though important. What we do know is social distancing and stay-at-home orders are effective and have drastically reduced the impact of the COVID-19 virus.
I’ve been staying at home as much as possible the past month or so now. It took some getting used to when Babcox Media initially sent us all to our home offices back on March 13, just ahead of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s stay-at-home order, which has been extended to May 1st as of writing this column. It felt like we were in a movie back in mid-March – major events getting cancelled and postponed, restaurants, bars and other small businesses shutting down, sports going on hiatus, no groups larger than 10 people, masks, gloves, awkward situations passing people on the sidewalk and in grocery stores, and so on.
However, as we humans do, we have adapted. I know I have adjusted to working from home. My schedule has changed a little and who I see on a regular basis has drastically diminished, but using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Dropbox, email and all the other tools available to a publishing company like ours, has made the transition pretty streamlined.
Of course, the engine building industry has adapted also. Many shops have been deemed essential and continue to do great work, while some manufacturers have temporarily shutdown to protect their employees or are operating on skeleton crews to keep filling orders. Others with the necessary means, have been changing their manufacturing to help make masks, ventilator units or parts and hand sanitizer for the greater good, and that’s awesome to see!
It’s great to see an industry like ours work to get through this tough time together. And speaking of social distancing, I’ve been doing my part by getting outside for weekly rides on my bicycle to get some exercise and clear my head. While that’s been my escape, many people around the country with access to oceans, lakes and rivers have had something else on their minds – getting their boats in the water!
I can’t blame them for that, and what better way to socially distance yourself than to leave land in your wake. In that spirit, we give you our April issue devoted to marine engines. Enjoy! EB
