CHAMBER NEWS & VIEWS
Let’s try “extraordinary”
The coronavirus has led to a whole new array of words and phrases that we’re getting very tired of using and never want to hear again!
“New normal” probably tops the list. While all this is new, I hardly see it as normal. I think we need a new term to describe what’s going on. If you check thesaurus.com for synonyms of new and normal, you come up with: unfamiliar order, unusual standard and strange routine. I’m using those going forward.
“Social distancing” went from something we’ve never heard before to that phrase we’re hearing every few minutes and in a variety of contexts. It reminds me of when Gwyneth Paltrow decided she wanted to rename her divorce “conscious uncoupling.” Come on, Gwyneth, you got a divorce. Own up. I don’t like the phrase “social distancing,” but I don’t know what else to call it, so I guess it has to stay.
Then there’s “unprecedented.” It’s pretty accurate. But it’s way over used. Unprecedented has over 20 synonyms. So maybe we just pick another one and move on. I like unparalleled and extraordinary. Let’s take them for a test drive.
“Uncertain” and “trying times” are right up there with “unprecedented.” Picking other words wouldn’t bother me any.
I do not have any problem with the word “essential.” What I do have a problem with is why we never recognized our essential workers before. Doctors, nurses, and first responders have always been on the list. But what about our transportation workers, grocery store employees and other front line workers risking their lives to make ours safer. I gotta tell you they will never slip my mind again. And I thank them all for what they are doing for us.
Last but not least is “stay safe.” It’s the phase I use constantly. I sign off on my chamber emails that way every week. I am sorry…. but I promise I am totally sincere. Stay safe, everybody! And as we move forward, the chamber is still working for you every day. Please give us a call or shoot me an email anytime you need something. That’s what we’re here for, especially, in these extraordinary times.
Lynne Conlan is Executive Director of the South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce. Call her at 813-634-5111, or email lynne@southhillschamber.com.
