Zooming into the future

WHEN my mum went on a holiday in the 1950s to Ireland from Australia, there were pre-arranged phone calls home.

The calls were at an exact time so the whole family could be there and were only for a few minutes as these calls were so, so expensive.

For the last few days, I have been out and about, not physically due to COVID-19, but by video conferences. There really is no cost apart from some data usage and it can be used by anyone.

I have been one of 30 volunteers discussing the week, one of five in a family catch-up, one of six in a writers’ group and soon one on one with my violin tutor. The app I am using allows me to “Touch Up My Appearance” but there doesn’t seem to be a “play in tune” version for the violin playing.

One of the participants mentioned that it only takes about a month for something to become an ingrained habit. Will the future mean that far more of our communication will be virtual or will we go back to face-to-face contact?

In how many ways will we change the habits of a life? Will life ever be the same as it was, the same way I like it?

I want my life to go back to what it was.

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A not so sure bet
It seems odd that out of all the gloom and fear from the COVID-19 pandemic comes some happy news – the closure of casinos and one-armed bandits.

Employment lose is a concern although that applies to so many industries but the financial losses for the addicted will pause for a while.

I wonder what the odds of them staying closed for ever are, but I bet it’s close to zero.

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A muddled but not masked voice
The advice from John Selden’s “Do as I say, not as I do” could be rewritten for President Trump as “Do as I say, not as I don’t.”

His musing that “I think wearing a facemask as I greet presidents, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know, I don’t see it for myself” is concerning for a number of reasons. He should be guided by medical experts, not his personal preference.

As with most countries, America is substantially closed to non-citizens and most leaders are far too busy with the COVID-19 pandemic to personally travel anywhere. It’s unlikely that visiting the oval office will be on any one’s travel plans for a while.

It would also be hoped that he would decline to meet any dictators as they generally don’t treat their citizens well. If he is the most powerful person in the world, he doesn’t need to meet the bullies of the world.

Masks might muffle his voice although it already seems muddled so any change may make his messages more confusing than they are already, if that is possible.

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Value your teachers
With the increasing number of infections, and sadly deaths, from COVID-19 the world has changed.

One of the odd outcomes is the appreciation of teachers and what their job actually involves. As the numbers increase, the number of schools open decreases and more parents have to home school their children although the schools offer support.

Like so many occupations, teaching requires training, skills and commitment as well as the resources of a school to manage the overall program but much of that is now unavailable and will be for most of the year.

When we return to a normal life it would be good to continue to value the work that teachers do. (dfitzger@melbpc.org.au/PN)