The COVID Effect. AKA The Splash Mob Effect.

Love me some Rabbit Reports

A HUGE thanks to “Rabbit” for sending in this great idea! And the day off. Wait, I am writing this now? What the hell? A day off, but keep your phone type deal. maybe a early morning break. Wait, I am still thanking him, not in bed. I am gonna go talk to the HR Dept about a vacation policy. WHAT? No HR Dept? Thanks Rabbit, thanks a lot.

Summer memories


It’s a little early in the season for so many sausage days, don’t you think? I thought Matt could use at least one day off. So, here goes it.
As we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel of this tragic pandemic, there’s discussion everywhere about how it will change us in the long term, in ways big and small. For sure more and more of us are going to be working from home, which for me is a very good thing. (Yes, I did plenty of Zoom meetings from my dock and boat last summer.) We’ve all learned to buy and do more online. And, sadly for those of you in commercial real estate, there likely will be a drop in demand for office and retail space.

A Zoom…er meeting

But how about long-term effects on our little hobby? For those of us in the Bob Speltz Land-o-Lakes chapter up here in the north country, we substituted a few splash mobs for the boat shows that we couldn’t do. And, damn, if they aren’t fun. And easy. You just send out an invite, designate a meeting place, and show up to spend the day boating with your buds. Yes, if there isn’t a restaurant on the lake, some kind-hearted soul on the lake needs to invite the gang over for lunch, but that’s about it. No months of planning and budgeting and fretting over the weather reports. Just show up and have a blast.

Spontaneous gatherings are the best

And, I’ll go out on a limb here, I think that could be a very good thing for the hobby. There’s something about a mess of boats just out messing around, maybe pulling up to a lakeside restaurant, that just makes those poor souls in their pontoon boats and overpriced new Clorox bottles, say “Damn, that looks like fun.” Yes, the uninitiated love strolling the docks at a show. But there’s something more spontaneously joyful about a splash mob. And for that much-needed next generation (the “youths”) who shy away from the whole club thing, it might just make them more likely to give a boat club a second look.

Its more fun when we all have the same idea at the same time

Yes, if you’re fortunate enough to survive this pandemic without losing a loved one or your livelihood, it will change us in ways big and small, bad and good. If it means a few more splash mobs, I think that’s a good thing.

Thanks “Rabbit”

 

9 replies
  1. Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P)
    Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P) says:

    Good story Rabbit. This reminds me of the Cruise Ins, that they have in the classic/muscle car hobby. They are a lot of fun. No pressure just hanging out.

  2. Andy C
    Andy C says:

    We had a sort of splash mob….it was really fun. Only picture I took was waiting to go through the black rock lock.

  3. Mike U
    Mike U says:

    Hey, has anyone else not received their Holiday Party invite for this year? Usually would have RSVP’d by now.

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