My last day at the fitness center was on March 20th. I have to say that I miss the hustle and bustle of the center. All day, there were people coming in and out of the facility. Whenever the group fitness classes let out, it would remind me of a train opening its doors at a busy stop. There are people bustling through the walkways. When the center is hoping, it’s like a carnival of people and music. It’s a great environment. I’m lucky enough to be working in place where everyone who walks through the door is there to improve themselves. It’s Magic Karma on a good day. You can feel it. It’s palpable! The center really is its own community. There are the members, the townspeople. We’ve got some great personalities and characters who are all my friends. There is my work family, my staff. We’re all like the cast from the Andy Griffith show. There is that kind of warmth.
In my position, I can rarely work uninterrupted. Usually my phone is ringing while someone is sitting in front of me. There is a steady barrage of questions and concerns coming at me from all directions from both members and staff. There’s always a steady stream of emails that require prioritizing and responses. It’s a fast pace that’s on and off throughout the day. For the last six years, I’ve woken up at four in the morning on every single work day. During my “Corona Vacation,” there seems to be a new normal (at least until the fitness center). While I miss the hustle and bustle of the center, I have to say that I love the freedom of personal time. It’s time to spend with those whom we love and on our personal projects.
Old Normal: Up at 4am every day except Sunday.
New Normal: I wake up when I’m done sleeping. What a concept! I’ve discovered something pretty interesting... I can sleep until 9am some days…no problem!
Old Normal: I’d work hard to prioritize my time with my family. My time was so tight that I would have to be mindful as to not let the important people in my life feel neglected.
New Normal: I’m spending time with my family. We’re enjoying each other’s company. There are home and personal projects that I’ve had the opportunity to work on at a fulfilling pace.
While I recognize the tragedies that have taken place from the Covid-19 outbreak, I also recognize that within every crisis, there is opportunity. For many of us, there is an opportunity to do good and an opportunity of time. We, as an altruistic group, are looking for ways to help the people who need it the most. Our world (through this crisis) is coming together for a common cause. Many of us have been given the time to plug into our personal lives and get caught up and reconnect with our personal dreams and goals. We’ve being given the gift of time so that we can enjoy the people who mean the most to us. It’s a time for re-examining our lives and our priorities.
“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back.” ― Harvey MacKay
Yours in Rotary,
Tony Parziale