I work for a small civil works construction company that does work all over the US, but is headquartered in San Rafael, California. When the World Health Organization officially declared COVID a pandemic in March last year, my company was always a week ahead of everyone. They mandated masks in the office, social distancing, and remote working when possible almost immediately. They were ahead with Zoom meetings, and beat our clients to the punch with every single COVID-related request. Until recently, I had thought that the fact they were located in California had something to do with it.

It did, but not for the reasons I thought. The owner of the company, who had stepped back a bit from day-to-day operations, got involved. It turns out he had lost a couple uncles when the 1918 pandemic hit Sacramento; people he never met, but his father and grandfather had talked about in his youth. He kept it under his hat until the last company meeting. For him it is personal, not political, and I'd never have guessed. The company is still at the point. Yesterday, we got the email mandating masks in the office and cash bonuses for getting vaccinated. He's still taking it very seriously.

---