What happens when we don’t need Zoom to connect anymore?

I’m getting nervous I’m not going to see the friends I’ve reconnected with anymore once the pandemic is over. But it’s not over yet…

In 21 states cases are going in places where we’ve reopened. So this virus isn’t done with us. We are doing worse than when we started, bc folks have let their guard down. I have begun to go out more and go to stores more bc I’ve missed that part of my “old normal.” I mostly hate that normal but honestly I miss a decent sub sandwich. But not if that trip for the sub sandwich can kill me.

As of this writing we may have found a steroid that works for folks that are dealing with a severe case of Covid19. Aerosol transmission is still holding enough virus to transmit the disease. Just by breathing, coughing, laughing and coughing. Remember the movie theater scene in “Outbreak?” Yeah, it’s like that. And the asymptomatic carriers. I can’t go back to work until there’s no more new infections where I live and there’s more than one drug to treat infections. And a vaccine. A real vaccine that really works.

The government would say otherwise. They are “encouraging” us to ignore the virus, the risk, and the nature of capitalism to stress us out, making us more susceptible to catching a virus . The government doesn’t mind if some eggs get cracked or if your Mom or Dad or lovers die. As long as the machine keeps running. Oh and you might not be immune even if you’ve had it. So we are being nudged towards death. Bc it’s not practical for Capitalism.

And yes, I’m listening to things about Covid19 in the background as I write this. But the reason why I started typing is because in this pandemic, I’ve reconnected with old friends and made new friends. Even at this stage, our Zoom meetings are getting leaner. Some folks have been called back to work. Some have started going outside more. And some have just burned out from the conversations not changing enough.

As I’ve said before, my life mostly sucked before Covid19. It had fallen apart over the last couple of years. Even less invites among the friends I still had. I didn’t do anything terrible, I was just a neglectful friend. I didn’t make sure my routine and work schedule left me enough space to do anything more than surviving to drive another day. And when I tried to make the adjustments the algorithms that run ridesharing made sure I didn’t make enough to stop working.

My friends have their shit together more than I do. (I’m listening to this broadcast where an infectious disease doctor is confirming my concerns btw, about the caution and concerns but I’m sure if he knew my story he would agree about my friends having more stable lives.) My rent is way too high, that’s the first thing that needs to be fixed. Then the food costs and reducing my car insurance police. And refinancing the car loan, which without work might be impossible for the moment. The ladder has always been greased it seems.

Essentially, I need to use the time to fix things as steady as possible. Make things more stable whether it’s a pandemic or not. My friends in NYC, who I miss terribly are already talking about ditching the weekly Zoom meeting for social distancing meetups. I feel anxious writing that. “Welp, we don’t need this anymore, back to mostly forgetting you exist, byeeee….” I don’t want to be ghosted by my worlds. Not again, not ever. But I can’t drive 4 hours down to meetup. These are the new problems to deal with. How to stay connected when the line is cut. When the virtual tethers are severed.

And I’m sure the model these companies use will be changing. Nothing is ever for free. There will be a fee schedule of some sort created soon. And I will pay the ransom to see my friends again and again, for as long as they’re willing to be in the room altering their stares between the webcam and the LCD screens. But I will have to make some hard choices and pivot when it’s safe to go out. I want us all to have the fullest lives ever, just not at the expense of my connection to them. I’m going to have to work even harder now so that it’s easy by then.

Never forget the drinks are cheaper when you make them yourselves and the bar snacks are safe to eat when they come out of your own fridges. That will still has value in a post-pandemic world, right?