30 May 2021
Zoom Context
My husband catches up with a Victorian in lockdown using video. There’s an expectation for me to join, but I hate doing my hair on Sundays.
From most Australian’s perspective, covid-19 has been a nuisance but not detrimental. The devastation which has occurred around the world, particularly in India, is shocking. For Australia, at least, it’s like being inside while there’s a blizzard outside. Sure, we get bouts of the chill air when we open the door, but we’re safe for the most part. When the state of Victoria went into lockdown, it reminded Australians of the grim reality that it is indeed “cold” outside our doors. Victoria zoomed to close its doors and began contact tracing.
Communication during this time is essential between people. My husband’s friend Vicki (not her real name) lives in the state of Victoria and is old enough to be his mother. The extensive lockdown of 111 days was hard for many Victorians and Vicki among them.
Since the “long lockdown”, the state has been operating effectively. Residents coming home from overseas are always going to introduce the risk of the virus spreading. Technology alleviated the lack of human contact in the lockdown circumstances, or at least for those that embraced it as a substitute for human physical contact.
Zoom was the platform of choice for our video contact with Vicki today. It’s incredible what a difference it makes to have Vicki connect with close friends visually. Vicki always likes to look fantastic and enjoys the process of getting ready to engage with the world (makeup and lovely clothes). Video allows Vicki to continue with her makeup and clothes routine.
Video Conferencing
Before COVID, a phone conversation without visuals was quite the norm, as well as lengthy discussions. However, the longer a lockdown persists, the greater the need for sighted people and especially older people, to connect visually virtually, as indicated in Hajek (2021).
I dislike video conferencing because the pressure to “change what I look like” feels stronger. It also means the screen gets my undivided attention. For instance, if I am on the phone with my mother, I can play a jigsaw puzzle while conveying her story.
A jigsaw doesn’t take much of my attention away from my mother’s conversation, but it keeps me focussed on the exchange. When my mother, or others, go into a story-telling mode, they tend to look into the distance to recall the details better anyway.
Images of myself and/ or my mother can distract me when video conferencing. When this same conversation happens in a face-to-face situation, the recall still occurs but ever so briefly. The need to look off into the distance is more infrequent; at the very least, eye contact seems more frequent.
Video and Sense of Smell
I’m typically not as sensitive to smell as others in my friends and family community, for the record. My sense of smell is there; I’m just not as receptive to its subtleties unless I make myself tune into the scent. It’s like selected deafness but with a sense of smell. The smell must be bad for me to verbally acknowledge it as either “oh pfhoo” or “wow”. Seriously, unless breaking wind produces a foul odour, it won’t bother me; even then, it’s not a bother.
If our connection to the world hinges on a sense of smell, subtle though it is when we mingle with others? Essential to our memory and ability to recall information, even when we’re unaware of its import in our daily lives (Sarafoleanu, 2009).
What I’m trying to say are people less likely to get depressed if there’s a sense of smell from fellow human beings? Since video chatting and regular technological socialising, depression is still prevalent. Could the difference be scent?
Anyway, that was me just idea-slinging. When I found a bottle of Australian Bush Flower Essence with the “Calm and Clear” smell, the idea came to me. After applying the face gel, the scent transported me to paradise – figuratively speaking. 😇
Today's Cards
The Cards - Analysis
Carryover Cards
Two cards carried over from yesterday; Moment to Moment moved from Recent Past to the Now, and Laziness moved from Outcome to the Goal. Did I not wish for Laziness to be a goal yesterday? Gotta be a-careful with the wishin’.
Cross
Being in the moment prompted the Moment to Moment card in the Now. Postponement is in the influencer position, suggesting I’m ignoring or delaying activities on my to-do list. Most likely, participating in the video chat. Did I mention I don’t like them?
Oh, look! It’s the Laziness card in the Goal position. Sundays are a day I strive for Laziness; when you have a video chat, Laziness goes out the window. It’s also a carryover from yesterday, but I think this is more the universe giving me what I wished 😁.
Sorrow is in the Distant Past. If today was all about the video conference (there wasn’t much else on). In the past, I’ve often – like many – judged myself unfavourably in video chats; Sorrow could stem from there. The judgement would have been me of myself.
Ordinariness in the Recent Past is about paying attention to everyday things, and perhaps the Ordinariness of the day changes with a change in routine.
Future Energy has Breakthrough. Looking back, I did have a Breakthrough on the video front; I’m okay as long as I resign myself to the interaction. The resignation is not something I’ve recognised in myself before, so this is a helpful thing.
Base
There you go, Comparison is in the Feelings position. The Comparison card in the Osho Zen deck advises that comparison is silly because it’s like comparing which is better between an oak or a bamboo tree. Both trees are helpful and have different purposes, although some of the uses overlap. Both provide shade, help build things, but the climates in which they’re grown vary.
Others’ Views, in this case, Vicki’s view, I am probably seen as The Outsider. Vicki has known Mark all his life and only me in his later years. The connection is civil and amicable, and if I changed myself, I would be accepted more easily. However, Vicki would be devastated if I changed myself for her.
Hopes & Fears has the card of Stress. My fear is the Stress of the video-conferencing situation, and I hope the video conferencing doesn’t work to remove the stress 😏.
Finally, the Outcome position has Aloneness. The result of the video conference is me feeling alone in my response. It’ll pass.
References
- Osho, Osho Zen Tarot – The Transcendental Game of Zen, St Martin’s Press, ISBN 0-312-11733-7
2020, Covid in Australia: Melbourne to exit 112-day lockdown, BBC, Published Online
Faf Y., 2021, How can technology help people overcome the covid-19 pandemic?, Startups Magazine, Published Online
Gabbiadini A., Baldissarri C. Durante F., et al., 2020, Together Apart: The Mitigating Role of Digital Communication Technologies on Negative effect During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy, Published Online
Cheng A., 4 Statistics that show the True impact of video conferencing, RingCentral, Published Online
Hajek A.· König H.-H. 2021, Social Isolation and Loneliness of Older Adults in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Can Use of Online Social Media Sites and Video Chats Assist in Mitigating Social Isolation and Loneliness?, Karger Online, Last viewed 4 Jun 2021
Sarafoleanu C, 2009, The importance of the olfactory sense in the human behavior and evolution, J Med Life Published online
