My word: It’s time for quality, not quantity

The dreaded virus is here with us and I am writing this editorial a few minutes after the announcement by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.

So pardon me if I can think of nothing else to write about at the moment. I’m still taking this information all in.

There is one thing I’ve taken from the flood of coronavirus-related information suddenly flying around -- from WhatsApp and other social media platforms to websites to TV and radio stations.

We need to slow down and think about every little step we are taking. A single decision makes a big difference. 

Like many women, I like to pride myself in the findings of numerous scientific studies that have shown that women multitask better than men. It’s something I imagine must be the case for me too, because I am a woman, and because, as most studies say, I think in certain patterns that give me an advantage in multitasking.

But lately, with so much interference with technological devices, I’m beginning to doubt my multitasking prowess. Perhaps I’m a little different from other women. Perhaps when I’m engrossed in a book, or sending an urgent text on my phone, or following a speech by an important person on TV, these abilities do not apply.

And so with the situation at hand, I am telling myself I need to do things slowly and properly. Stop, wash your hands, eat well, drink water, avoid certain things and places etc. All these things need to be done properly, otherwise there’s no point doing them at all.

So perhaps being in a rush is not a good idea right now -- not to the level we have always done it where we do as much as we can but forget some of the little important things. Perhaps our focus should be on quality and not quantity.

For example, let’s not focus on washing our hands all the time. Let’s focus on washing them properly (at least 20 seconds and with soap) every time.

Someone very close to me always reminds me to slow down and do things properly so I’ll borrow his mantra.

“You can kill two birds with one stone. First kill one bird and then pick up the same stone and kill another bird!”

Now go wash your hands. Properly.

Christine Koech, Editor, Eve