Potentially unpopular opinion here, but can we please stop using "Unprecedented" to start every. single. professional. circumstance? This anxiety-inducing and negative-first language doesn't help the situation and really isn't accurate anymore. Thread to work through my thoughts:

This is something that particularly bugs me about #museum webinars, by the way, but more on that later. And before I get comments, our life today is very much unprecedented and scary and uncertain, no doubt. It's important to acknowledge those feelings and circumstances

But is it really unprecedented in our professional lives? Society has experienced at least three global shut-downs or major changes in the last century (WW1, 1918-19 Flu, WW2) and most countries/regions have experienced significant challenges outside those as well.

As an almost-29-year-old, my life has already seen three other global health emergencies that touched my region or life, to a more limited way (SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu), and two periods of economic recession. I've watched from afar many others as well.

Within the #museum sector, what is really unprecedented or unexpected? We know POC, emerging professionals, and educators are most in precarious work and likely to lose work or supports first when museums close. We've made this case for 10-20 years. It's happened for longer.

We know #museum funding is not great, we know many run from funding to funding in unsustainable ways, and that revenue models are precarious. We know (or some of us do) digital has not been prioritized. Is it unprecedented that many face significant challenges now?

And now we're nine weeks into closures (in most places, some more), so our daily circumstances are well understood. Our reality is old news, and we've all experienced it by now. I want to scream "I know we're in unprecedented times, we get it already!"

Plus we've moved on, at least in lots of places, to looking at reopening. We're making plans, we're trying to focus on strategy. The unprecedented nature isn't being closed, it's determining the new, CURRENT, reality of operating with no/few visitors and uncertain procedures.

So when I log on a webinar (and @Cuseum you know I love you, but calling you out here) and it starts with a dramatic opening line about how unprecedented it is I feel both disconnected and anxious rather than forward-looking and actionable. Could be Canadian exp in US events tbf

Shout out to @AASLH and @nationaltrustca who ran webinars yesterday that dealt with COVID-related response topics without making a big deal of the unprecedented state, even though AASLH conversation was about our unprecedented times! Focus was on actions, movement, opportunity.

I also think turning to the big #museums that we all know will survive (esp in US where private donations always support them) does not reflect the unprecedented reality of the 20-40% (*in US) projected museums that will close permanently. We need to hear from them!

I want to know about the small #museums, how are they responding and taking advantage of opportunities (if they can) without needing robot tour guides or having massive buildings to allow distancing? How are front-line educators actually impacted, not just their managers...

We get it, things are unprecedented, but we've actually got a lot to draw on. Yes, our lives are unprecedented and the global circumstances are challenging, but it's time to accept the reality and move to the next unprecedented task: reopening, recovering, and thriving in future.

That's my rant for now, with my personal opinions alone, though I may come back to this thread again in the future for whatever reason. Because, let's face it, that's not unprecedented at all!