The worst of times.

There have been a lot of new people joining my social media recently, so welcome.  I’m very glad to have you here. 

My dislike of social media is probably fairly well known.  Occasionally it brings out the best in people, and more often it brings out the worst.

This is the beginning of our worst of times.  People will struggle mentally, physically and emotionally.  We will all face losses. Some of them will be small and some of them will be catastrophic.  

This is our World War and like all wars it’s not going to be over in a couple of weeks or even a couple of months.  Wars and the repercussions of them go on for years.  

It’s difficult to feel like we have no control over our lives, and I understand that some people go into fight mode trying to control the world around them when they are scared.  The truth is that we never, ever have control of our lives. The only thing we can control is our own actions.  

You have a choice.  You can choose to be compassionate.  You can choose to be kind. You can choose to support instead of tear down.  You can choose to reach out to people who are struggling. You can choose to put aside your judgement and walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.

Like all business owners I have spent the last couple of weeks trying to work through the ramifications of the current situation and information which is constantly being updated.   My time has been spent trying to make sure my staff are safe, their wages paid, talking to my landlord, accountant, bank, creditors, and trying to help my customers.   

I am preparing myself for the fact that there is a very real chance I will no longer have a business going forward.  There are a lot of other people in our industry who will be facing the same, however we are not all in the same situations.  

Some of us have large overheads, some of us don’t.  Some of us have staff, some of us don’t. For some of us no income isn’t a big problem because it means we don’t also have the outgoings that go along with running the business.  Some of us have no income and large outgoings. Some of us can distribute within the government guidelines and some of us can’t.  

​This is not a ‘one size fits all’ situation.  

I want to make something crystal clear to everyone in my social media space.

You are not in charge of Outlaw Yarn.  I am in charge. I will make decisions based on all the information I have to hand and the regulations from the government.  I will make decisions based on the best interest of my staff and my customers, and my company. That is my job.

Your job is to act responsibly.  If you have a huge stash and don’t need yarn, don’t buy it.  Recognise that not everyone is in the same situation as you and it is not your job to judge them.  Not everyone has stash to carry them through the next few weeks/months. Stash is a privilege.

Don’t spread hysteria.  That doesn’t help anyone.  Food supply chains and essential medical supply chains are not the same as yarn supply chains.  No one is missing out on food because someone else is buying a ball of yarn. Use your common sense.  Listen to the actual experts, not the keyboard warriors.

If you chose to be part of this group, then part of that choice is that you will treat every member here with respect and kindness.  I will not tolerate shit stirring. Do that on your own page. Actually, if you feel the need to act like that on your own page, this probably isn’t the space for you.

I have been so proud of the HQ customers in the last few months since we opened.  I have seen all sorts of people in our groups come together and show each other nothing but support and compassion, no matter how different they are.  I expect nothing less from you all online.