Do For a Million

You’ve probably never been part of a global quarantine before. Don’t be surprised that there’s a learning curve. It’s my rookie year too.

Here’s a shortcut to making better choices:

Ask yourself, if a million other people also did this what I’m doing, what would the world be like?

This doesn’t apply only to quarantine. Thinking like this makes me want to let less food go to waste. To try and support more ethical businesses even if it costs an extra buck. To be more mindful of my carbon footprint.

Turns out, it’s a pretty good way to think in a pandemic.

I’ve heard a lot of people asking around if one activity or another is a good or bad idea during a pandemic. Going on a hike? Jogging on deserted streets? Shooting a basketball by yourself in the park pretending to beat a team of Monstars?

No shame in not knowing, since you probably haven’t quarantined with the entire world before. And different places have different degrees of restriction, though it’s hard to be too cautious.

If a million people did their cardio in isolation, on empty streets, at staggered times, that’d probably be fine. If a million people showed up at the trailhead, that’s not so good.

If a million people ordered food from a struggling mom and pop Chinese restaurant and sent one extra meal to hospital workers... that’d be real amazing.

This is a mental shortcut so there are of course exceptions and times when this doesn’t apply. But hey, it’s so easy to overlook how our small choices impact plenty of other people. This way of thinking helps!