Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and were well fed and safe, however you chose to spend it.
Since we last convened, in maybe the most predictable news of 2020, the Merriam-Webster word of the year was pandemic.
Shocking, right? To be sure, there are several words and phrases that could be used to coin this year of maladies, and even some that can be reprinted in a family newspaper.
COVID, quarantine and social distancing all come to mind.
There's isolation and asymptomatic.
As for a sentence, the first one that popped in my mind was ''listen to the experts.'' Of course, through this seemingly endless pandemic, that simple phrase, like everything else, has been divisive.
A big reason for that is the economic experts and the medical experts often have had divergent messages.
Well, goodness knows I'm far from an expert in either, but I will offer this idea as a way to bridge the two as COVID-19 numbers spike to levels that make me wonder if in-person schooling will last through the week.
Be safe, listen to the doctors. Do the simple stuff, masking included, not because you have to, but because we all want to get through this.
And, while you're trying to stay distanced, find ways to spend your Christmas money with local businesses.
Think of the stories behind the unique small businesses around Chattanooga. Take a minute and call Plum Nelly or Sophie's directly rather than waiting on hold at some 800-NAP-TIME for online service. Think about the chance to find the perfect gift you never knew existed right here, and think about how just a bit of your time can help a small business make it through a tough year.
Heck, tell Santa to forget the lottery tickets this year and beg him for some local options.
At least 99 times out of 100, I would suggest you pick up a vacuum cleaner for Mother's Day rather than give gift cards for Christmas, but gift cards to Mike's Hole in the Wall or Feed or Wally's or River Street now make a ton of sense, and cents.
The toll on our nation's psyche is tragic, and the fiscal hemorrhaging is real, too. The financial impact locally affects you whether it has affected your business or not. Because regardless of what you do, the economic climate of where you live matters. If you spend locally, others will have more to spend, too.
Be smart, gang, and stay safe. That's always good advice. This year, let's also add "buy local" and "think of your neighbor."
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.
Jay Greeson