The experience of being quarantined makes me immediately think of limitation; no mobility, no social interaction, lack of food, lack of supplies, and limits on the freedom to choose to do what I want. But, the reality of “shelter in place” for me has been very surprising in a number of ways.
There is a saying that when a door closes, a window opens. During week one of confinement I was amazed by the ways people were using technology to provide free opportunities for social connection be it, educational or entertainment.
Unexpectedly, I was able to be part of a live discussion with the author of a book I just finished, my family and I had a virtual dance party in my home office with our friends, and my kids were read nightly bedtime stories by Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf from Frozen.
For my family and I’m sure for yours too, Zoom and Google Hangout replaced the going to the library, park, and to friends’ houses to play. My kids participated in a virtual yoga class, a class on the digestive process and an art class taught by my wife, Rebecca — all of which provided time to see, interact, and learn with friends. There were numerous other virtual offerings for the kids like a class on digital photography, comic book writing, and web site development. My daughter’s ballet class went virtual. These were just the classes organized and taught by members of our community, by people we know. Many of the national parks, science centers, and major museums were offering virtual walk throughs. There are all kinds of free webinars on various topics. Rebecca and I learned how to deepen children’s learning experiences, how to engage young readers, and even how to earn money while working from home. At one point we realized we needed to create a schedule to keep track of all the virtual events we were interested in, many of which we weren’t able to fit in.
What impressed me most about this overnight flowering of opportunities was the positive feeling that stuck with me all week – I had so many interesting choices, things I could do, new connections to make! There was expansion in a way I did not expect.
“Shelter in place” has made apparent just how much technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. When I think back ten years to the last monumentally life changing time for me, the Great Recession of 2008, the virtual resources to gain new skills, advance your education or professional network were only a fraction of what is available today. While our interconnected world has recently made apparent our vulnerability, it has also facilitated greater opportunities for connection. And while not being able to hug or visit family and friends during this time is challenging, it is offset by being able to see them on FaceTime or a host of other real time interaction software or apps.
This weekend I get to look forward to a virtual cocktail hour with six isolated family members in California. What’s next? We don’t know but the window is thrown open!
