And that leaves me with a perplexing condition of what I guess they call survivor's guilt, where the individual wonders why they are so special to have survived unscathed. Usually applied to war survivors, or terrorist attacks, school shootings or a wide-range of calamities where people suffer and die, and the ones left are left with a feeling of guilt for still being around.
Now, with our little company as busy as can be, my son healthy, I'm healthy, my employees are healthy, my dog seems happy, my wild flowers are blooming wildly on a large plot of land I cultivated, and both the pandemic and now the racial unrest, more than just the tender-hearted can feel. Slathered top to bottom in white privilege, I sail on with my clients, associates and friends.
I'm not really going to take this thought too far, but one level I've been focused on and struggling with is a marketing message that has the right tone. Word like 'capitalize on', 'opportunity', 'escape' all ring with slightly off-key pitch, as does my usual flippant 'you snooze you lose', or 'could've been you' in your face taunt.
I'm cognizant of the power of words, cognizant of the somber moment, and cognizant that I do best by keeping my family fed, my employees and their families working, our subcontractor teams engaged, and our clients safe. It's a bubble, but like one of my new clients said artfully, it was a bubble I choose 20 years ago, and it's a bubble that keeps giving back.
So our marketing message has been reduced to 'we build safe houses for you to be safe in, and we've been doing it for 20 years'. Nothing more really has to be said.
Couple of news pieces -
http://www.westmilfordmessenger.com/tag/-/meta/charles-petersheim
https://upstater.com/catskill-farms-saugerties-mini-homes/
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