Courtesy of Scott Galloway, No Mercy/No Malice
This is not the first holiday season shrouded in tragedy. When Americans sat down to a peaceful Thanksgiving dinner in 1940, my mother went to sleep in a London Tube station while the Luftwaffe terrorized her city. I’m thankful for those who came before us, finding their way through plagues, wars, and starvation on an unimaginable scale.
I am thankful for the 1.3 million men and women who serve in uniform today and the 55 million essential workers who put on PPE for another shift at the hospital or ensure we have food.
Science is moving us forward. Three almost-ready vaccines appear to be effective. The second announced, from Moderna, is the most promising, because of its stability. It can be stored in a standard refrigerator for up to 30 days, and left at room temperature for 12 hours. It's easier to distribute than milk.
Most/all have people who love us. That’s meaningful. What is profound, however, is having people in your life who know you love them … immensely. My Thanksgiving wish is that you be blessed with people who know you love them immensely.
My dad is 90. His home health aid’s roommate tested positive, so he’s stuck in his facility. My sons ignore or roll their eyes at most everything I say — a healthy reaction. The rest of my family tolerate my book, my pods, my ambition and ego. They remind me how important it is to be in the moment, and I'm usually not. But they all know I love them immensely and, this Thanksgiving, that’s enough. Freddie Mercury (Queen), who died today in 1991, said, “The most important thing is to live a fabulous life. As long as it’s fabulous, I don’t care how long it is.” This Thanksgiving is more complicated and less fabulous. But I hope/trust that you are with people — or that you aren't with people — who know you love them immensely.
Life is so rich,
P.S. I’ve spent most of this year doing my best to look at the horizon and picture the world as it will emerge post corona. What forces will shape business and society, and what can we do to shape those forces? Big tech will cast an even bigger shadow, extending into health care, higher education, and beyond. Deepening inequality will erode the stability of our dynamic capitalist system — how can we reground that system in a healthy society of shared sacrifice and cooperative effort? My thoughts on these questions are in a book, Post Corona, out today. I hope you'll check it out.
Image via Pixabay.
