Waiting for Results Can Be a Troublesome Time

August 31, 2020

Alaska State Director Rick Whitbeck recently took a COVID-19 test, after contact tracing identified him as at risk for the virus. Here are some of his thoughts:

It isn’t ever fun to hear that you may be exposed to COVID. In fact, given the minimal number of positive cases in Alaska to-date, being told you may have contracted the virus is almost comical in some ways.  You start thinking about your community contacts from the past week or two; where you’ve been and who you’ve been around.  You start to wonder who might have given it to the person who may have given it to you.  You do a lot of thinking in general – not worrying, but playing different ‘what-if’ scenarios.

As I was waiting in line to get tested, I started envisioning the lives of those waiting in cars in front and in back of me. Questions like, ‘If that guy behind me is positive, does he have a job that will support him like I do with Power The Future?’  ‘If that lady in front of me chain-smoking while waiting turns out to be COVID-positive, will the virus hit her harder because of her addiction?’ ‘How many of us in line will test positive, and how much worry will it cause some of us to just not know the results for a number of days?’

This also got me thinking: There’s a correlation between my COVID test and America’s energy workers that should be noted.

First, America’s energy workers are under attack from many different angles – zealots in the eco-movement and radicalized politicians just to name a couple – that makes it hard for workers’ jobs to be focused on without distraction.

Next, for many workers who want only to put in a solid day’s work and take home a livable wage to support their families, the thought of how they may have gotten into the situation where their very jobs could be at risk is unthinkable to them.

Each and every threat to energy workers’ jobs can be traced back to those who want to crush American energy independence, US energy dominance and threaten national security.

The stress and worry that comes from the unknown – especially as America hurtles toward the November elections – isn’t healthy for jobs, relationships and families.

That’s why Power The Future exists: To act as a voice of power and reassurance that American energy jobs are important.  They are crucial, keystone-level employment to so many communities across America, including dozens in Alaska.  Energy workers shouldn’t live in fear that a Green New Deal or potential new President could cripple their industries and shut down their jobsites, but the facts are that those are threatened by what could happen in November. While I tested negative for COVID, and am back to normal day-to-day function, there are hundreds of thousands of Americans waiting on political factors and tests to play out in the coming months.  Let’s hope for their sake – and America’s – that those anti-job challenges also come up clean in November.