Craving Human IRL Contact, yet Failing to Show up

Riddle me this . . .

Since the onset of the pandemic, we have all learned how to “gather” virtually. For the past several months, all but a few of my meetings have NOT been IRL (In Real Life) because of legal mandates which prohibit being in any public or even private place without wearing a mask and able to maintain a minimum distance of 6′ apart. Our ONLY option to continue life has been to comply with these Legal and socially imposed rules.

I get it and don’t dispute the abundance of caution . . . Many experts of high intelligence made these recommendations for the well-being of ALL of us. After all, this COVID monster was spreading quickly and was KILLING people – LOTS of people.

In the past month, many of the restrictions have been relaxed allowing restaurants and venues to “Open” . . . I LOVE being able to go inside a restaurant now, don’t you?

During the “Shut-Down” Our only viable option was to move all of our meetings into the virtual venue – ZOOM – On-line virtual spaces.

For months, I participated in MANY ZOOM meetings. As I look back, I remember that , in EVERY meeting, someone would comment how much we all wished we were able to meet in real life instead of virtually. Oh! “We SO missed genuine human contact.

Guess what?

Now that things are opening up, we CAN now meet in real life if we so choose.

Here’s my observation . . . Many of us are talking out of both sides of our mouths . . . When we call a meeting in a real life venue, participants ask if they can join the meeting virtually . . . because it’s not convenient for them to drive across town.

Convenience trumps eagerness to see people in real life?

“They” were right!

There’s no chance of returning to “normal”, is there?

OBTW – Convenience also seems to trump a FREE LUNCH.

Ah well!

Gotta go join my 8:30 zoom . . .