Opening Up

I learned last night hybrid events do not work very well. Someone ends up feeling left out.

Last night it was book club. There are nine of us. Four wanted to meet in person (and did), three wanted to Zoom (two did, the third's plans changed), one was busy, and one was out of town, but would try to Zoom (she couldn't make it).

Four of us sat in a gazebo on a lovely summer evening. Two joined us on Zoom.

The four of us instantly got caught up catching up. It was like old times, except we did so from at least six feet away. We could split off to two talking at a time, something that is impossible to do with a regular Zoom meeting.

Within a respectable amount of time one woman asked "When are we going to talk about the books?" Books? Oh, yeah, the purpose of a book club. Given that the library is still closed, this time we did free reading. Each person talked about a book or two or three she has read during the Corona quarantine and tell us the good and bad parts, whether or not we recommend it, and anything else that comes to mind. We were so caught up in conversation we forgot the purpose. If we were all meeting together, it would have been the normal course. 

I'll admit to feeling a little chastised when the women dialing it in mentioned we forgot about them (we also could not situation the laptop so they could see all of us). We offered to let them know when we are ready to talk books, but they were done. The way I often feel when I'm on a Zoom call, especially one that lasts more than an hour.

Meanwhile, the four of us enjoyed being together again.

And the other two felt left out.

I see this is how life will be "for the foreseeable future." Some are ready to emerge from the cocoon of Corona virus, and some are not. As numbers are spiking throughout the country, the stay at home people have valid concerns. Texas just had a one day record of 9,000 cases. Locally, though, New Jersey had 500 new cases after our peak of 4,000 over a month ago.

People from Texas, Florida, Utah, Arizona, California, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Washington, will have to self-quarantine for 14 days when they come into New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. The list will change daily based on each state's infectious rate.  Seems only fair since when Florida's numbers were low they imposed the same rule on New Jerseyans. It also seems a bit tit-for-tat and highly impossible to control. 

The virus is not going anywhere anytime fast. 

Back to my initial statement about hybrid events. I am continuing to work on the postponed gala. The plan is to make it a hybrid event -- silent auction online, dinner in person. I'll have to carefully consider whether or not to make any of it hybrid. My initial thought was the live auction should be done both online and in-person. Now I wonder if that's a good idea. Should we live stream the speakers and dancers, or will that feel forced? Does it make any sense to get together in person at all? Will people be willing to gather in person again in November? Are those days in the past until we have a proven vaccine?

No answers, just lots of questions.