We’re Gonna Be Okay – Let’s Have a #SQLFamily/#CoVid19 Party!

Yoda would say “There’s a disturbance in the force.” right about now. Things are being canceled. Airlines are being slammed. Schools are closing. States of emergency are being declared. The healthcare system in Italy is under serious stress. We don’t know what the coming weeks will look like in the USA or Europe.

Maybe it’s just me – but it feels like we’re sort of all holding our breath right now, forgetting to exhale. The news is ugly and a bit confusing. The politicians are not helping on either side of any political or national divide.

What about the economy? What about the system? What about _____ ?

So many questions. So much stress. Maybe you are fine. If you are – then we need to hear from you on why you are fine. Maybe you aren’t fine – and you just need to be around some people who are fine.

So… Let’s have a party. A responsible “social-distancing” party online. Each Friday my team at Straight Path tries to (we get busy sometimes 😉 ) host a “Show and tell” where we jump into Zoom and talk about a challenge, teach each other something at a customer with an issue, etc. We also have a daily stand up meeting where we talk about work for 15 minutes and generally make fun of the owner of Straight Path or tease each other the rest of it. It’s important for us remote workers to have some social aspect to our day jobs. It gets old staring at the same farm-grandma wallpaper here in my office day after day.

I’ve decided (literally just now as I type this post and hit publish in a few minutes) to instead have a Zoom call with anyone in SQL Family who wants to join. I don’t fully know what the format will be and how it will work – but I’m confident if enough of us join – it will work out just fine.

So – drop in tomorrow – Friday the 13th (BREATHE!) of March from 3:30 -5:00PM EDT (Or whenever we end if this is a flop and no one but a few Straight Pathers and my friends who I’m asking to show up – Thanks Tim Mitchell so far!)

My main point of the webinar/meeting is:

• We’re gonna be okay.
• We’ve been in bad situations before and we find a way.
• The economy is bouncing all around, the economy has tanked before, it has always risen. And it will tank again in the future.
• Remember you aren’t alone.
• Remember your fears are not invalid.
• Hopefully tell some jokes (I have none really)
• Maybe let some folks who have been working from home for awhile share tips/strategies/ideas (I’ve been doing it about 8 years now. I have some, but I’d love to learn more).
• Basically – just add in some social “closeness” to counteract some of the social distancing.

I don’t want us to talk about politics or religion. Though I’m happy to talk to you about where my hope is stored and why I trust God through this and can honestly say in any uncertain times, “It is well with my soul.” – but I’d ask that we talk about that privately, 1:1. The point tomorrow is for #SQLFamily of all walks of life and stripes and types to just remember – we aren’t alone.

This is going to be a Zoom Meeting. I can have 500 participants. That’s likely way over the number we need. You can join with a camera or without. You can join with your mic or without. I’ll mute folks who have too much feedback (That’s one of the work from home tips we talk about) – but you can unmute yourself when you want to talk.

So no promises how many show up and how it goes. But let’s get together. Let’s chat. Let’s remember we aren’t alone. And it’s going to be okay. And make fun of my farm-grandma wallpaper here.

You can join the meeting here tomorrow at 3:30 PM EDT.

Mike Walsh is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/643520096

Meeting ID: 643 520 096

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UPDATE – Apparently I can’t give you an ICS. So you will just have to put this in your own calendar and remember to attend 😉 You should be able to add this to an Outlook calendar with this link