Let go and let’s zoom
Is zoom my wardrobe into Narnia?
It was as I was getting ready for the French meeting that I became aware my 2009 MacBook was struggling to download the zoom update that occurred on Saturday. I became aware that psychologically I getting a bit dependent on zoom. The thought that I wouldn’t be able to access zoom meetings was making my heart sink. The watcher was whispering gently that it didn’t matter I was getting myself attached and that too is not a good thing. Contentment is the place of calm.
I was having to talk myself out of getting into a state as I was finding space on my phone to install zoom. I don’t pay for a lot of space so I was having to decide what I was prepared to let go to let zoom. Facebook, WhatApp all were being uninstalled as if being thrown out of a balloon debate. I got zoom but it is now 10 40 am. I had to decide whether I would still join the French meeting. Quakers are encouraged to live adventurously so I thought I would go for it. I pressed the button and jumped in. They were in discussion in French after the meeting had ended at 10 30. I felt like the time I enrolled in a French class above my level, I had to make my excuses and join the beginners class. I decided as I was late and I was feeling wobbly I would disappear almost as fast as I appeared.
My faffing about allowed me to join my local meeting in St Albans for the after meeting chat. Of course, they have been wondering where I have been with all my zooming about.
I had scheduled myself to join the 9 00 am Brooklyn (NYC) Meeting at 2 00 pm UK time
In between leaving my local community and awaiting the Brooklyn meeting, I felt a bit disorientated and found myself asking what world am I in. Yes, I am here but this zoom has become for me like the wardrobe was for the children in accessing Naria.
It reminded me of how I struggled 30 years ago to get my head round having been in New York at 7 00 am and then in Dublin, Ireland in the afternoon. Now my head is swirling as I don’t leave the chair in my home and yet I have in some sense been here, there and everywhere.
Just before 2 pm, I began to press the button on my ‘time machine’ and when it works I was suddenly seeing an image on the other side. It was as if the New York Times was in 3D as Mahayana appeared on my phone with the same setting.
“You’re the woman from the famous photo in the New York Times!” I said. She was friendly in her response.
After the Meeting for Worship, we introduced ourselves and given the death of George Floyd there were many tears. Others offered support.
I also scheduled in the 11 00 am meeting at 15th Street, Manhatten. There were many more people at this later meeting. The after meeting was focussed on considering what actions should be taken to address the factors that caused the death of George Floyd.
At the risk of sounding obsessive ( I know I am sounding obsessive) I also scheduled in the Meeting for Worship in Alaska. It was at 10 00 am which was 7 00 pm here.
From the East coast to the West the concern was the same ‘the death of George Floyd’. Maybe it was because I had sat in so much silence in the day that the meeting in Alaska went even deeper. Someone spoke about connections in which a fisher net was referred. I was feeling deeply connected to people on another continent as they were dealing with the pain of racism.
Is it that zoom is only showing us what already is? We are interconnected, we are brothers and sisters it is only that for whatever reason we struggle to see it.
Best day,
g
