I am not technologically gifted. In normal times, turning on my computer and making the instant pot work properly are significant achievements. As a result, the concept of face time that my children use or zoom that companies use for monthly meetings or Google Meets that the school board uses were previously foreign lands to me. But these are not normal times.
This morning on my regular walk to and from the grocery store, I “facetimed” with my best friend in Germany. Seeing her expressions up close and seeing her laugh were no substitute for actually being with her, but it was close. Every month our company has in person meetings because everyone is working from home. Now I use Zoom, which is nowhere near as good as being able to eat shepherd’s pie together at Benny’s, but it is functional and allows us to be productive and move things forward without meeting in person. Watching my youngest engage with her Grade 1 classmates and her teacher on Google Meets is heart warming and better than nothing in a situation where she cannot see them, play with them and laugh with them in person yet.
I am itching for a return to normal. I am missing breakfasts and lunches with my friends and their hugs. I want my children out of the house…not permanently, but definitely out with friends goofing around and having fun. All of this is hopefully not too far off now that Ontario seems to have a handle on COVID 19 and is containing its spread. That being said, I am grateful to the pandemic for pulling me into the 21st century with some new technological tricks, with no going back.
