How Can Hacker Noon's "COVID-20+" Rule Make The World A Better Place In 2021

I'm afraid that we will still have to deal with the aftermath of 2020.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a screenshot of the best tweet in 2020. So, I'm doing my best to paraphrase it. All credits to a guy who made this ingenious observation. It goes something like this:

Maybe I didn't quote it in the most precise way, but you get the point, don't you?

I don't know. I guess that a Mayan priest or priestess in charge of calendar stuff just had too many coca leaves or whatever they were using to "communicate" with the ancient gods. Thye screwed us big time or maybe we failed to interpret their doomsday prediction the right way.

Either way, Hacker Noon made history by refusing to break the tradition of annual Noonies awards because of the pandemic. I'm grateful not because I won one of the awards, but because the Noonies made me forget completely about all the madness and troubles of 2020 - even for a moment. That's really something, isn't it?

But, my dear Noonies loonies, that's not the best thing Hacker Noon did.

My memory doesn't serve me right these days. I became a walking & talking pharmacy thanks to my wife, a lucky COVID survivor, who makes sure I'm taking enough vitamins and God knows what every single day. So, I can't remember who exactly shared a story about the Hacker Noon "COVID-20+" rule, but it was definitely one of their staffers.

So, what's this rule all about, and why it is so important to write and share a story about?

First things first, why COVID-20+, and not COVID-19? What's that even supposed to mean?

Well, the Hacker Noon staff decided to increase the tips they leave to the local small businesses during the pandemic. Plain and simple, the "COVID tips" have to be at least 20%, and even more whenever and wherever possible.

Don't get me wrong. We all give how much we have and can afford at the moment. And, it's not about the money at all. It's about the message and vibes you're sharing and spreading. Right?

Yeah baby, that's my version of Metallica's "Wherever I May Roam."

More than I can count, I came back home without a single cent left in my wallet, but with a full heart. Cheesy phrase alert!

On very rare occasions when I was allowed to enjoy a coffee in my favorite bar for a strictly limited time, the last thing on my mind was the bill itself. I felt like Rockefeller while ordering and paying for the new rounds of drinks for all guests know and unknown.

Rest assured, I wasn't the only one, and the virus of universal generosity spread quicker than the actual virus. The waiters and waitresses treated us a royalty. Nobody knew when the next lockdown is going to hit and how long it's going to last.

The special treatment and most generous tips were reserved for the food delivery guys. The look on their faces when you leave a tip that's almost half of what's been ordered was and still is - priceless.

Just to clarify. You don't have to be rich to be generous beyond your means. I mean, let's face it, you aren't traveling. You don't buy new things. What's the point of saving for rainy days in the world that may end (hypothetically and literally) at any moment? Right?

At one point, it hurt more to see a sign "out of business" in your neighborhood and heard the bad news that your friend lost a job than to read and listen about the number of new COVID cases. I mean no disrespect to people who weren't sure that they're going to make it because of severe pneumonia, like my wife, or those who lost their loved ones, like two of my first-door neighbors.

I'm not a scientist. I can't invent a vaccine. I'm not a doctor. I can't cure you. And, we all know, there are no filthy rich freelancers. So, I can't go around and save businesses, but at least, I can give and share what I have.

You may say, but what's the point, your tip is just a drop in the ocean. True. But, it's also true that solidarity and selfishness can move the mountains.

Today is the New Year's Day. Nobody is asking or expecting you to be a superhero. Just don't be a COVIDiot. Does it make you feel special if you go to some forbidden secret COVID party? Can you live with yourself? One of the doctors who worked in a hospital around the clock where my wife had to stay for a night - died. He was only 45-years-old. My age.

You don't have to go crazy with your money and live la vida loca. Just give away a little bit more than you used to. That's all.

Don't be a COVID fool, stick to the COVID-20+ rule, as much as you can and want.

Happy New Year! Say no to fear! Above all, don't skip to leave a generous tip!