My introduction to the wildly popular app called Zoom was a sad one. I downloaded it specifically to view a memorial service for an old friend. Suddenly I was transported to a graveside somewhere in Maryland, where a rabbi and a series of family members spoke lovingly about the deceased. Lots of smaller screens showing other mourners, some crying, appeared above the main screen. I was depressed all day.
About a week later my husband and I "zoomed" with our dear friends who live in Virginia. It was great fun, although not quite the trip to Israel we had planned together. The practice of meeting online with friends has been called a "Zoomtini Hour" when you do it at the end of a day, everyone with a drink in hand. While nobody on our call was drinking much of anything, we did commiserate about Covid-19 and how it's impacting our lives. Even sober, it was a blast to see their faces up close and be reminded of our last visit to their lovely home on the James River. It was almost like being there. I say almost because their cell service was spotty, and every so often a face would freeze in a distorted expression while the voice kept on talking. It all looked and felt like an old "Twilight Zone" episode -- you know, that one where a deadly virus blankets the world and all the people are forced to stay indoors, communicating only over computer screens.
Anyway, by then we were hooked`on zooming and realized the sky's the limit! Tom and Linda in D.C. had much better cell service and came in crystal-clear. Hey, there's that painting in their dining room that I always loved! And Herrmann, their adorable schnauzer who we met when he was just a puppy, jumped onto Linda's lap and stayed for the whole conversation. We all drank heavily (not the dog), just like on so many Saturday nights when they lived around the corner from us. But this was even better since we didn't have to stumble home afterwards and could just crawl upstairs to bed.
Since then we've zoomed repeatedly, each time with greater ease and far less confusion. Last night we spent an hour-and-a-half with our best friend in New York, and even toyed with the possibility of starting a Risk game like in the old days. maybe next time. In some ways zooming is better than getting together in person, eliminating the annoyance of booking airline tickets, going through security and getting stuck in a tiny, cramped tube for hours. I'd suggest if you're looking to make up for some recent stock losses, invest in Zoom today; obviously, it's what our future looks like.
About a week later my husband and I "zoomed" with our dear friends who live in Virginia. It was great fun, although not quite the trip to Israel we had planned together. The practice of meeting online with friends has been called a "Zoomtini Hour" when you do it at the end of a day, everyone with a drink in hand. While nobody on our call was drinking much of anything, we did commiserate about Covid-19 and how it's impacting our lives. Even sober, it was a blast to see their faces up close and be reminded of our last visit to their lovely home on the James River. It was almost like being there. I say almost because their cell service was spotty, and every so often a face would freeze in a distorted expression while the voice kept on talking. It all looked and felt like an old "Twilight Zone" episode -- you know, that one where a deadly virus blankets the world and all the people are forced to stay indoors, communicating only over computer screens.
Since then we've zoomed repeatedly, each time with greater ease and far less confusion. Last night we spent an hour-and-a-half with our best friend in New York, and even toyed with the possibility of starting a Risk game like in the old days. maybe next time. In some ways zooming is better than getting together in person, eliminating the annoyance of booking airline tickets, going through security and getting stuck in a tiny, cramped tube for hours. I'd suggest if you're looking to make up for some recent stock losses, invest in Zoom today; obviously, it's what our future looks like.
Yes, I had a unexpected Zoom party for my birthday and I had a blast. Since then not so much.
ReplyDelete