By Candice Rogers, Paladin, Inc.
My husband is a big Beatles fan. He even has Yellow Submarine socks. With us spending so much more quality time together, his taste in music has influenced the soundtrack of my day.
One song I have always loved is Let it Be. As with most Beatles music, I think it’s particularly culturally appropriate at the moment – despite being written over 50 years ago.
“When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me. Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”
No matter what we do for a living, we are all in times of troubles beyond our control, where our available response as people and professionals is to simply “let it be.” Whether one’s stress comes from a shortage of paper products, the challenge of social distancing or a house full of instantly- homeschooled kids, our healthy response must be “let it be.” That mindset is truly the only sensible path forward that’s bound to come out on the other side.
I also appreciate this song because of Sir Paul’s story about why he wrote it. At the time, his band that was once a group of his best friends was breaking up and he was deeply saddened by it. To an extent, the construction industry that has been our inspiration, our education, and our occupation is being broken up as we “redefine the relationship.” All of us are leaning into the challenge of figuring out how to work from home, maintain social distancing and hygiene in an industry that very much requires a shoulder to shoulder effort to “get ‘er done.” I miss the aspect of the job site trailer and can’t wait until we’re beyond this and we can all engage more regularly in activities together.
Perhaps we can take inspiration from The Beatles history, in which Paul McCartney remained a friend to his estranged bandmates and eventually experienced reunion and restoration. I like to think the temporary healing of the “Let it Be” mindset was necessary for long-term restoration.
I want my colleagues in the construction industry and the clients we serve to know that Paladin and I are here if you have a need. Fortunately, there are still signs of vitality in our industry for which we can all be thankful! Even with people sequestered at home, there is still the pressing need for the facilities that employ the skills of our extended community. Buildings still need attention even if the people aren’t present. In a word, we’re still needed.
While everything is far from normal for everyone on the planet, please know we are all in this together and will emerge stronger in the future. Will we be changed? Of course. Will our industry be different? Absolutely. But the overriding need for safe shelter that has been part of the human condition since the beginning will endure.
Until the dust settles and we are shoulder-to-shoulder on the construction site again, let’s stay focused and optimistic. Give us a call if Paladin can help you in any way, even if you’re just looking for song recommendations. You know my answer: “Let’s turn on The Beatles.”