24 December 2010

The Positive Side To The Destruction Of Steenbergs' Office

• burst pipes,
• climate change,
• cold weather,
• gilgamesh,
• noah,
• noah's ark,
• office flood,
• steenberg,
• Steenbergs,
• Steenbergs spices,
• Yorkshire

Our initial feelings on the flood in Steenbergs office were of despair, as we received another body blow at the end of this tough year.  Strangely, it has not been trading that has been the issue with sales going up, but rather just things, operational stuff that has not worked and gone plain wrong.  However, as the office has now been gutted and the ruined kit skipped and while the insurable stuff has been put into temporary storage as we wait on a loss adjuster, I have started to become positive.

Floods are devastating.  Floods destroy crops, property, coastlines and change landscapes and lives.  Floods can kill, injure and mess with your head.  Floods cause havoc and chaos, and spread disease.  Floods seem to be a constant theme in my Open University studies, especially linked in with environmental change and global warming.

However, our flood is trivial compared to those in Pakistan this year.  So for us, this flood has a positive side.  Now, that the initial tidying up has been done, we can see the opportunities that this might bring.  We have thrown loads of stuff out that was just accumulating in the office, and now I am clearing through other kit that was just loitering with intent to do absolutely nothing.  It is like an enforced life laundry, or in this case business laundry.  We can see how we might rearrange the rebuilt office to be more efficient and comfortable.  Yes, it has been a tiring week; yes, it has been devastating; however, it also is forcing some changes.

And in the environment, floods clear the land, but they can bring fertile soil with it to feed next year's crops.  Floods underpinned agriculture in Ancient Egypt and along the Yellow River.  The story of an ancient flood is found in many religions and myths, ranging from the Biblical story of Noah to the Mesopotamian story of Gilgamesh.  Flood myths are basically the story of how floods remove evil, cleanse the earth and bring back fertility.

So out of despair, we can look at throwing out the rubbish, starting over and having a better, more productive time at Steenbergs in the future.