During this crazy time, trust is what we must keep coming back to. When I look on Facebook and I see the anger, hate, and fighting it seems like trust is the last thing anyone is willing to give at the moment. But if we are going to make it through this, and if small business is going to be around on the other side, trust is what we need.
Trusting me: As students have come back to Aerial Dance they have had to trust me. First they have to trust that I don’t want covid in my studios. (duh, I think that’s pretty obvious.) But then they have had to trust that I have and will continue to do the research on what is the best way to keep it out. They have to trust that my personal beliefs won’t weigh in to the decisions I make for Aerial Dance and that I will always go with research and science. We are being so transparent in all our procedures during this time so that trust can also have some fact behind it, but I suspect very few of our members have read our detailed covid website in full, they instead trust me to do the very best possible in this ever changing and, frankly shitty, situation.
Trusting your instructors: I have to trust that my staff is enacting the lengthy procedures in place to keep them and our students safe. I have to trust that at the end of every night, even when they are tired, they do all the steps to prepare for tomorrow. Students have to trust that if an instructor is teaching her that the instructor is healthy. That her instructor has done all the things to keep her safe at the studio and that her instructor is doing all she can to stay personally free of the virus.
Trusting your fellow students: When you walk into the studio you also have to trust that your fellow students are doing what they can to keep our community safe. That the student next to you doesn’t have any symptoms and if she did, she didn’t come today. That if a student was in a high risk transmission situation she isn’t in class until she is certain she is healthy. That if a student is awaiting a covid test result she isn’t standing next to you in class. That if a student isn’t wearing a mask, she has a medical reason.
I had a member write me about her severe asthma and how wearing a mask won’t be possible for her. She offered to send me medical documentation and I thought “if I can’t trust you then what type of sisterhood do we have?!?!” It isn’t my job to police every single person at Aerial Dance and every decision she is making right now. First, that isn’t possible. Second, that really isn’t possible. So I have to trust that every single person who walks through the doors of my facilities is being conscientious of what is at stake and will not make a selfish choice that could literally costs me everything. I have to trust that every person will do what we have asked of her before and while at the studio because she wants to be in our community and that she cares about it. Trusting that no one will decide a political stance or the inconvenience of taking her temp before coming is more important than her instructors being able to continue working to have income from teaching to pay their bills. What is at stake is our sisterhood, our playground, the health of every person in our community, the livelihood of 17 people, and my businesses. Every decision we make right now has the potential to ripple to the people we come in contact with and the places we choose to go. I have to trust that every single person who is part of our community wants Aerial Dance on the other side of this and is going to do her part to keep our community safe.
So maybe this isn’t about trust. Maybe it is really about faith.
Trust or Faith? Either way, I promise to keep doing my part and will believe that you are doing yours. Together we will get through this.