On December 31st 2019, many were excited to celebrate the end of one decade and celebrate a fresh start to the next decade. On that very day, China alerted WHO to several unusual cases of pneumonia that broke out in Wuhan. On January 7th, that virus was identified and named Coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV. From there, the virus spread, affecting China and today, as I sit here and write this from the desk in my bedroom, majority of the world. Almost every single country and every single person is affected by this virus and there is a sense of anxiety and fear over what is to come and how this will continue to impact us all.
And that’s just it, this is impacting all of us. Countries are on lockdown, cities under quarantine, and officials continue to implore us to heed warnings to help flatten the curve of this virus. You’re hearing a lot about washing your hands, social distancing, not gathering in groups, and staying home. I am not an expert in this field and won’t pretend to be, so I suggest you follow reliable local news sources as well as WHO and CDC for updates.
I know a lot of information is being shared online in every avenue, and while I did share an image and a few thoughts on Instagram, this is a time that has us in uncharted territory. How and what we share as a brand feels murky, in the way that I do not want to minimize what is happening, but I also know at a time like this people crave stability and an escape. Our site has always been as escape of sorts, a place for like minded individuals who love designer bags and accessories to come together with others who share the same passion. It’s the reason I fell in love with designer bags in the first place, it brought me joy and as this community has grown, I’ve felt such happiness in sharing this mutual love together.
What does that mean for PurseBlog? Myself and the rest of the PurseBlog team are very lucky, we can work from home and we can continue to share content with you. We are going to brainstorm additional ideas and features that we think you would love to read during this time (some are longer pieces, so there may be less daily posts some days). One major thing that will be lacking is our in-house photo production: you won’t see as many of our own photos, as nearly every fashion brand we pull product from have their teams working from home and will not be able to send samples. However, I’d love to hear if there is something specific you would like to see from us and please do feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email if there is any question, comment, or concern at any time. I find continuing to work brings a feeling of normalcy and stability in an otherwise very frightening time.
And speaking of that, I would be remiss to not truly touch on how much of an impact this is having on so many people across the world. I’ve been disappointed to see so many social media messages being shared that surround how this is a time at home to relax along with other various ideas that involve a lot of downtime and self-care. Of course, that would be ideal, if it were only that easy.
Millions of people will be facing lost wages, small businesses will be struggling to stay afloat, and many will be worried about affording food, rent, and how to care for their children during this time and in the months after. We are in a subset that is incredibly lucky to be able to stay home and continue to work, but many are not. I don’t know the exact answer for that, but I do want to say if any of you have ideas how to help the small businesses in your areas, please drop thoughts below. When stores are back up and running, do shop local, eat local, and try to stop and listen to what the people in your area are saying. I am sure many of you are facing an unstable time as well, and I wish there was something I could do to help each of you personally. It pains me to think of how many people will be out of work because of this. So before you repost how easy it can be right now to sing, dance, read books, and sit on the couch, keep in mind that many are not only not able to do that, but facing serious financial uncertainty. To those that have to still go in to your job in order to provide for yourself and your family, thank you and stay safe. And a very big thank you to those in the healthcare industry fighting this on the frontlines. You are helping save the world, we are so lucky to have you all.
We will be here (home, that is) and we will be working. As always, PurseForum is open as well and it’s a great community that you can chat with about everything from your favorite designers to TV shows you’re watching, to the royals!
Stay healthy and safe everyone!
❤ Megs
