A Whole New World

 Various groups I belong to have gone digital. They have Zoom meetings. I had never done that and since I didn't necessarily know the members of such groups well, I wasn't comfortable with the idea of joining an online meeting on an unknown platform. Then I got an e-mail from the leader of a group of local artists who normally gather at the public library. She decided Covid -19 had kept us all separated long enough and she initiated a Zoom meeting so we could reconvene. At least I personally know most of these people and I felt more at ease joining them online while many of us learned how it all worked. 

The instructions that I got by e-mail prior to the meeting did not fit with my device so right off the bat I had difficulties. I went in expecting to have to apply a password but immediately saw faces I recognized. I couldn't hear anything though so I poked at things until I could. I've never been afraid of pushing buttons on a computerized device. Little school kids do that every day and I have never heard of them blowing up a computer yet.  So, once I could hear the others they tried directing me to the gallery. I had no such button but I tried one marked Participants. That just gave me a list. Once it was determined that I was attending the meeting on an android tablet I was told to swipe left and that worked great. I was so happy to see so many people I have not seen for most of this year!  Others were still having difficulties even getting into the meeting so I felt I had done well. I still must have been nervous though because every time I was called upon to speak I found myself babbling and I'm not really sure just what I said, or if I made any sense.

While others talked and sorted out problems during this orientation meeting, I attempted to sketch one of the other participants. I have been drawing my mirror image for another group almost every Sunday for over a year now. I'm getting to know my own face well but I have not had a lot of practice with others.  I didn't get a likeness but it was still good practice. I showed the model what I had been doing and she said that at least I had been productive while she just sat and listened. She was one of the more experienced Zoom users so she likely didn't even need to be there for this meeting.  She really must have just wanted to see our faces too.

At the end of the meeting, it was suggested that we practice Zoom calls among ourselves so we would be more familiar with the process in time for our next meeting a month from now. Perhaps I will visit some of the other meetings I know about, just to see what they are up to. A whole new world may be about to open up to me.