ZOOM Goes Viral

A few months ago, volunteers in SCORE were introduced to ZOOM electronic meetings. It was a way for us to gather expertise among colleagues and meet with clients to discuss their needs and share ideas in solving them. Face to face without actually coordinating finding a physical site, and each of us traveling there to conduct the meeting.


Now all we do is select a common date and join on ZOOM. We can even share our computer desktop images to access pertinent documents to share, and websites and searches to access other resources. Pretty neat.


In the age of COVID-19, we can now meet new clients and conduct business without leaving our desk chairs. Suddenly we have more time to think, research and write our conclusions. Articulate our thinking, too. We have the time to articulate. ZOOM has also fixed the problem with gas, toll and mileage maintenance problems for volunteers living on fixed incomes. In the viral age it keeps us productive without leaving our homes.


Yesterday we conducted two ZOOM meetings for SCORE. One was a team meeting on learning new technology central to SCORE operations. The other was a town hall meeting of 42 volunteers to discuss our experience with the new SCORE technology. How is it working. What blips are we experiencing, and so forth. ZOOM worked in both settings beautifully.


Church leadership meetings graduated to ZOOM as well. At least two ZOOM gatherings per week are employed to continue our work on various projects. Church services are done via live Facebook streaming. Our website carries the recording of those services, too, but after the fact. This is Holy Week in the Christian world. Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and all the special preparations for these rites. Living in a sheltered but viral world challenged us to keep the church message and heritage alive. We to do so electronically because of the talents of some of our members. Amazing what we can all do together when challenged.


I haven’t used ZOOM for family ‘gatherings’ yet. We will do that shortly. Meanwhile Facebook and texting has worked well. Our HOA board is thinking about using ZOOM. Maybe we can visit with neighbors via ZOOM, too?  Soon we will attempt that.


In quarantine we eat less, produce less laundry, avoid most car expenses, and keep our homes neater and cleaner. We are doing without a lot of things without even thinking about it. I am learning to live more simply and enjoying it. My mind continues to focus on what matters like it has most of my life. That’s just me, but others are likely now discovering this dimension of life for themselves.


The pandemic is scary. It has forced us to be more alone. More self-reliant. More inventive. And more thoughtful. Where there is a negative, positives appear.


It all depends on what we focus on. The positive or the negative?


I fervently hope you all are finding the inner peace and comfort that alone time can provide.

Meanwhile, know that ZOOM is available to lift our spirits by reconnecting us with loved ones and colleagues.


ZOOM. Check it out on the web.


April 3, 2020