The text box I'm writing in is titled "Once upon a time..." I'm already wishing for that, just a few days after our life as we know it has come to a standstill. My usual tool is also the computer, and emails, Excel spreadsheets, and presentations form the basis of my work, which I use to support my partners and clients in matters of sustainability – support that isn't currently in demand. On "my" social media, the first people of the hour are now offering help to survive in the home office; others are sharing horror stories, memes, calls for help of all kinds every minute, or simply posting pictures of their pets and children at home – for some mileage collectors and business travelers, this seems like a completely new, perhaps forgotten, experience. Terrifying. I read about people who already had it hard enough without the crisis, who are left behind by the (media-driven) consumer society and who now find it even more difficult to provide for themselves – that's why I'm involved with the Berlin Food Bank and am encountering real life. People who simply do things and don't talk, who give their best in chaotic situations (what they're used to is no longer available, is breaking down, and the conditions were already hopelessly desolate). So, I've left my comfort zone and am in the middle of it, and it feels like it – I feel a certain distance from my surroundings, but I get going anyway. The work is unfamiliar, it's physically demanding, but it makes me happy because I've almost forgotten what it's like to achieve a result with my hands, a result that helps people, that provides them with food and necessities. That feels good, and I'm still in the middle of this process, between my desk and the conference room and the real lives of others. How different are they, how different am I? I'm excited to look back on this time – what remains, what changes, what am I learning? Perhaps there will be a sequel.
