Coming Together on Line

Along about now, I suspect we’re all suffering some social anxiety from being separated from family and friends. But thanks to Zoom (and other video conferencing tools) social distancing can be somewhat lessened. We got the family on line a few days ago (no small feat even in reality) for a teleconference call. 

We appeared on screen in little boxes much like a segment of the old game show “Hollywood Squares.” Everyone seemed to be well, despite 7 of the 12 having been on airlines in recent weeks. 

The 30-Day Challenge

Robin suggested to the group something called the 30-Day Challenge, where you decide to do some particular thing everyday for 30 days. It could be a diet, (I ruled that one out), learning to knit, organizing photos, writing your memoir, taking up watercolor painting, learning Spanish on line, yoga, or getting in contact with one old friend or relative each day.

The important thing is that the activity becomes a regular part of your boring, bunkered life. Something you look forward to doing. For me, it’s writing. Dealing with the photos, research, and the mental musings needed for writing a blog.

A Virtual Birthday Party

Buoyed by our successful Zoom encounter, we planned a Virtual Birthday Party for our friend Lucy Sutcliffe. Robin forwarded the rules: Sit in a well lighted area, but without back lighting, look squarely into the screen, and get rid of any background noises. Two invitees live remotely and had a poor Internet connection, but the rest “attended” the online gathering.

We toasted Lucy each with the beverage of our choice, sang “Happy Virtual Birthday,” and told funny stories about our mutual friend.

Albert Schweitzer said, “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” That’s what Lucy does.

Happy Birthday, old dear friend!