Zoom is a good thing. It allowed us to keep in touch with far-flung family members during the pandemic. It allowed for the rapid emergence of tele health. It allowed for children to keep up in school. It allowed for me to finish my MSN. It even started before that. My hospital system went to it in early 2019, shunning, oh, what was it?
Hold on, it will come to me.
Skype! That was it. A precursor to Zoom still in use.
Zoom, Skype, all of the platforms have this in common.
Crickets.
Dead air.
No one saying ANYTHING. Just a dog barking.
Maybe.
No one wants to say anything. In case they are wrong.
And the silence hangs there.
Any minute now.
I’ve forgotten the question.
Getting uncomfortable now, isnt it?
I’ve told my professors that if they ask a question to a group and there is silence, I will answer it.
I can’t stand the anticipatory silence
I mean, it’s just there waiting.
Four seconds is all it takes for silence to become awkward.
I know. I’ve broken enough silences.
Did you know that?
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 