State of the Union
- Jan 14, 2021
- 3 min read
For months, I’ve been requesting a state of the union. I’ve been mentioning it on work calls, I’ve dropped it in a few in-person work conversations with C-level folks – using my half satirical, half serious tone (sidenote: I dropped ‘semi-serious’ to someone a long time ago at a local pizza joint and my friends loved it).
I think I was requesting a State of the Union partially because I didn’t really know what it was, and partially because it’s fun to say. But mostly because, in my humble opinion, someone who can deliver an address and unify a group of people are still some of the most powerful messages in this world. Hearing someone’s words, and believing in them can transform a people, at least for that day.
We all know that speeches are getting jumped in line by other mediums of communication, but a state of the union in today’s world is valuable. Hearing a voice of the people, reflecting on what we have battled and gone through these past 9, going on 12 months.
And if I could rewind the clock, I would have been going around those same office corridors and on those same calls saying “we need a state of the state.” Didn’t know that existed and it feels flooded with a redundant alliteration, but play the tape.
I don’t know where you are on Gov. Cuomo – I learned he was New York’s governor because of this crisis, and tuned in to his speeches when times were brutal in March and April. I listened. And I’m still listening today because I feel he is a voice of reason.
While I didn’t watch his whole state of the state (I will plan to), I watched the first 5 to 10 minutes or so, and it resonated (as have his other approaches and speeches). The point he made was COVID really brought out waves of our ugliness that were festering below sea level. Don’t you ever look at the ocean and wonder what’s happening out there, deep in the depths of the deep blue sea? I do all the time. And for these 9 months, the water level dropped 100 feet and you saw it. You saw the school of fish racing away from a stingray, the depleted coral next to its beautiful version.
There are too many narratives to this pandemic. On a personal level, on a macro level, on a global level, and any other level. But having a common voice and a leader that makes you want to listen can be transformational. I mean, we took our President off Twitter – and here is where the lines blur of does that mean people stopped listening? Were they ever really listening in the first place? Following someone on Twitter and listening are two very different things. Following ignorant mindless tweets from a powerful person can create havoc. Listening to a powerful, reasonable voice has the intention of doing the opposite.
Cuomo we were listening to. Believing in. And he delivered a State of the State. The link is below if you want to watch the first 5 minutes like I did – I would recommend it.
Of course, yes, I want to deliver a state of the union, but unfortunately my title and position in this world doesn’t allow me to do that yet. So I’ll write about some themes in a unifying speech that may have come out in mine.
The key question Cuomo asked is will we come out of this stronger or weaker? I don’t think anyone will know that answer to that question. We all want to believe stronger, but you want to talk about building back up – this is the time. It feels like our whole house was completely destroyed. Slowly but surely and blow after below. And it’s time to put on the hard hats, get our shoes dirty, and start re-building.
I’ve always been a ‘long-term guy.’ So I know people may not like this, but it is my true belief. This year will be better than 2020. And 2022 will be better than 2021. But it will take a long time before sea level rises to its normal level again. Where we understand what’s going on below the surface and can do the right things above the surface to fix it.
Cheers to the State of the State and glad we found our State of the Union.
Link here:
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