On a group call this week I caught myself saying the age-old phrase “We’re all in the same boat”. It was, as you can imagine, relating to the stay-at-home lockdown situation we’re all facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For some reason the phrase stuck in the back of my head for a few hours after that, lingering like a mosquito at night that just won’t stop buzzing around your head. It eventually hit me, and I realised why it was irritating me so much: We’re actually all not in the same boat.

Being in the same boat implies that all things are equal and we’re all weathering this storm together in an even playing field. But we’re not. Not even close. We’re not all in the same boat, we’re all in the same torrential storm in the middle of the ocean, but we’re all on different boats.

Some of us are in huge tankers that are swaying in the swells. It’s uncomfortable, items that aren’t nailed down are sliding off the tables, and going outside is not ideal but we can chance it because the boat is still steady enough. Others are on luxury yachts, with all the creature comforts but are annoyed that we can’t anchor down in the Med for the upcoming summer break. We’re rolling around like crazy but ‘hey, we have our martinis, so let’s just weather this one out, we can sail south and catch summer there’. Then you have this of us in speed boats, nipping between crashing waves, dodging all the other ships, turning to find the best place to spend the tiniest amount of time to stop and make the next decision and speed off again from there. There are also those who are stationed on the shore. Those who have understood for a long time that going out in the ocean is a bad idea, so they’ll watch from a distance, but are still a little inconvenienced because some of the people they work for are battling squalls in the deep blue. Finally, you have those who are alone in the ocean, hanging on anything they can, like Jack in Titanic.

The problem, I believe, is that there are more Jacks in this situation than anyone else. And, what’s worse, far fewer broken planks floating around for them to grab hold of. I can’t imagine what they’re going through.

If you’ve ever met a Jack. Or worked with a Jack. Or know a Jack who’s small business has closed. Or have the tiniest bit of heart for others less fortunate than yourself, I’d urge you this weekend to find an organisation that’s contributing to people who can’t go out and work and make a living in order to feed themselves and their families. Keyboard-contributions, for the fortunate few, are easy. Sign up, pay up, and know that you’re making a difference.

Some South African sites that you can check out to do your bit:

• UNICEF South Africa
• CoronaCare
• FeedSA
• Shout4Masks
• Afrika Awake
• Save Your Local
• Angels’ Care
• Solidarity Fund
• Gift of the Givers
• The Angel Network

I know I’ve missed a lot more, so please share any others in the comments below.

Make some good decisions this weekend. Help others out.

Originally posted on LinkedIn.