Recently, whilst working on my “second job” (on weekends, I’m a roadie!), I was mixing some tracks for upcoming Christmas gigs. I re-discovered a track that you may or may not remember called “The Perfect Year”, by Dina Carroll. It made me think…is there really such a thing as a perfect year?
Well, the last year certainly might not be the best candidate for a perfect one. As I am sure was the case for many businesses, 2021 started off in a bad way as we were locked down and our revenue was slashed by around 50%.
Things went from bad to worse as, in the Spring, a much-loved and valued team member handed in their notice. A job had come up where they wouldn’t have to work from home, and could once again enjoy the social aspect of work, so they understandably made the tough decision to leave us.
The summer came and went, and we rather felt like we’d sleep-walked through it, and before we knew it the kids were going back to school. I too went back into education, and have spent the past three months working long hours to complete my studies. The spectre of Covid has never been far away over the past year – not just the virus itself, but the mental exhaustion it has caused.
At first glance, you could certainly easily say that this year has been nowhere near perfect. But, throughout the year we’ve felt blessed to have such a fantastic team here at AKP, there has always been one of us ready to support another, whatever the issue. Individual team members have stepped up to the plate when the going has got tough, or carried out tasks way beyond their job description.
For example, take Chris, our storeman. He’s been sanitising touch points in our premises twice every working day, since we were first locked down back in March 2020. To him, at this point, this must be like painting the Forth Bridge, but he helps keep the team safe every single day.
With my coursework being so intense, I haven’t been at the factory since September, yet the team have amazingly recognised the importance of my studies to me as an individual and have been covering for me the entire time to allow me the space to think.
So, “The Perfect Year”? The lyrics of the song reflect on the fact that it is not where you are, but who you are with that matters… so maybe it has been a perfect year after all!
Merry Christmas everyone! Let’s hope that 2022 is even more perfect.
Recent Comments