Lockdown? Stand up!
That was the title of an appeal on Facebook. In it I called on you as a company, self-employed person or institution to sign up for a project to show what is happening behind those closed doors.
That evening I was also able to report that that call was closed. It went above and beyond expectations quickly....
The post was shared en masse and the applications flooded in. Wow!
Last Friday, with a tight schedule, I went " on tour "
What a day!
A day that will stay with me for a long time. Because behind those (partially) closed doors are many stories. Stories of resilience, stories of despair, stories of decisiveness and stories of adaptability. Whereas for one person this situation means that they can get on with it right away, for another it takes more effort to map out the right route. Where one is in paid employment, the other has to fend for himself or herself. And one employs a few people, while the other has a whole army at the ready. And what about education? There, a completely new way of working and teaching has emerged that the children and teachers are generally not used to. Hats off!
What has become clear to me is that not many people have sat still.
In one place, jobs are being done that would normally be left unfinished, and in another place they are working on overdue maintenance. Where the other is expanding known paths, the other is exploring new ones.
But all with one and the same goal: keeping our heads above water and making sure that as soon as the door can be opened again, the customers and guests can be helped as usual.
I want to thank everyone for their cooperation, hospitality but above all for the beautiful and inspiring stories. Stay strong and stay healthy!
And for you as a reader: Support your locals! On any level. They can use it, especially now.
Next week route 2.
Last Friday I was visiting:
Elementary school de Meule Venlo
Leurs Garden Centre and Equidrome
The Maaspoort Venlo, Restaurant Cabillaud and Bistro de Luif
English 
Dutch 
German