Covidversary Thoughts

Friday, March 13th, 2020. It was a typical day.  I taught my morning class to a full house at the West School studio and we all left with the usual “see you next week”.  We didn’t see each other next week, or in many cases, ever again.  Covid-19 had been ramping up in Ontario, and the weekend news was alarming, but it still seemed a distant threat when I closed our studio doors, ostensibly for a couple of weeks.  The province declared a state of emergency the following week.  

​Quite a year it’s been.  The loss, the expense and the learning curve.  The frustrations of running an online business from home with inadequate internet.  The hotspot that allowed me to stream from the school until the signal was lost to the spring leaves.  The cavalry, when Bell Fibe became available in our rural location.  It helped, but the upload speed was still well below the minimum required to stream classes without chronic issues. 
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Like every small business owner, I pivoted and reinvented so many times that it made Pac-Man look like a piker.  We made our move in November.  The real estate market was on a high boil, and we decided to relocate to Belleville, a move I couldn’t make while my studio was thriving.  Along with our new surroundings came the space and tools I needed to professionally run Love It Fitness Online. 

​Is it the same?  No.  Is it as financially lucrative as it was?  No.  Is it still great?  Resounding yes.  Most of my members didn’t adapt to online classes, but I am grateful to those who did and to the folks who have come on board since then.  I consider myself blessed to be able to do what I love, share my passion and empower others through fitness on a daily basis.
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What does the next year hold?  Who knows?  Am I done with pivoting and reinventing?  Not likely.

​My heart goes out to those who have lost health, loved ones, livelihoods and dreams during this pandemic, and to those who have had to face their fears every day and go out to do what had to be done.  Kudos to all the business owners who have adapted and struggled to remain alive and relevant despite the hardships, and to the individuals who have discovered strength and resilience they didn’t know they had while missing the things they love the most.  May we all soldier on in good health and eventually rebound with greater understanding, compassion, connection and perspective on what is truly valuable in ourselves and in our world.
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All the best to you on this Covidversary, my friends.