A little over a year ago, the ground beneath the world became unstable with COVID sweeping the globe. Suddenly, all of the things we would do and places we would go were shut down. Plans were canceled, and many, many people lost loved ones.
For myself and my two best friends, our summer plans were totally out. No getting together, which was significant as each of them live on opposite coastlines and I live in "flyover country." Like the rest of the world, we suddenly remembered that we didn't just have to stick with text messages and phone calls: we had many options for previously unused (by us) forms of communication that could bring us together, even though we remained separated. We began actively scheduling get togethers, and how refreshing to see their faces more than just once or twice a year. Amazing that it took a virus and cancelled plans to get us to think outside that box, but I'm so glad it did!
Another lesson on the utilization of technology to facilitate hangouts when it otherwise might have been unsafe was the substitution for my game nights I used to host every few months. My last one was Valentine's Day themed, 2020. However, once my friends and I started talking about our options, again we found the means. My friends and I began hosting game nights with each other utilizing various platforms to enjoy each other's company while obliterating each other at our favorite games. There are a lot of negative things in this world, and the media in particular loves that glorious negative light that stimulates fear and brings about viewership; however, there is still so much of the positive that can be found in the nooks and crannies. Sometimes you have to look a little harder to find it, but it's there.
What are some positive lessons you learned from your personal experiences over the past year? How will you apply what you've learned to your future?