“A bend in the road is not the end of the road…unless you fail to make the turn.”
--Helen Keller
COVID-19, the poster child for WTF International: If any one thing has called for an abrupt directional change in my generation’s lifetime (born circa 1970), it has been the novel coronavirus. 2020’s theme became the Year of the Great Pivot as millions of people struggled to find stability amidst sudden chaos, confusion, and loss of life. Lockdowns, school closings, limited health care access, and economic upheavals are but a few of the recurring themes that have thread their way through our lives since this virus demanded the global collective attention. As humanity determined what was within its control (not much) and what was not (everything else), strategies emerged and evolved in response.
This phenomenon is known as adaptability--a capacity to adjust to new conditions that has been tested time and time again over the years.
Will we accept surprises? Accept new roles? Find alternative solutions? How flexible can one be?
Considering the consequences of making decisions based on the changes in and to our environment defines our opportunities for growth.
When omicron cases began rising precipitously last fall, front porch was in the thick of fundraising for the Samudaya Learning Garden Center. We had set our sights on traveling to Nepal in early January to break ground. Christmas drew near and, while our fundraising efforts were ultimately successful (thank you!!), we realized that it was not yet time for travel. We simply were not ready. Shift.
Zooming out, our foci landed on other aspects of front porch and we made new plans to leave for Nepal in February, which seemed reasonable at the time. Our hours were spent redesigning ideas, deepening our collaboration with KRMEF, refining priorities--and keeping a close eye on The Covid. Once again, the evolution of covid presented yet another barrier to our being in Nepal: It seemed that most people in Kathmandu, according to trusted in-country sources and predictive modeling charts, had active viral cases or were recently recovering from covid, so it seemed prudent to postpone our trip. Again.
As much as we wanted to be with the community to begin this collaborative project in person, we know it is the most prudent decision for everyone involved--for now. We’ve met virtually with KRMEF several times this week to decide how best to proceed as we wait for the air to clear (literally) in Nepal. Here at front porch HQ, it’s business time; we are developing curriculum, writing grants, and staying up-to-date on organizational tasks.
In all reality, we are fortunate to have the time and space in which to practice flexibility/adaptability and to learn more about ourselves and our organization. We are warm, safe, and healthy--and we hope that you are, too. Stay up-to-date on our progress--and watch for that bend in the road.
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