Redefining the Meaning of Connectivity
I spoke to my friend Massimo today who lives in Bologna, Italy. Covid-19 hit the country hard particularly in the Lombardia region in Northern Italy. For two weeks, we have been communicating with our friends and relatives on a WhatsApp group chat. Mostly memes and funny videos were exchanged while the news became sobering with each passing day. We had tried to organize an old fashioned FaceTime chat but couldn’t get everyone together at a specific time. It’s okay. We’ll try again. Massimo had video called me and we had a nice chat. He pointed out his growing hair as he is not able to go to a salon. I am not able to either. I asked him if he was under total quarantine and surprisingly he is going to the office a couple days out of the week. Most of his co-workers are working from home as my co-workers and I are. His son was playing on a tablet and we shared our common day to day activities. He said something that resonated. He said, “I think everything will change.” I said “Of course. This will make us think about how we are living.” He responded, “I mean everything. Politically and economically.”
I was happy to connect on WhatsApp. That’s what the app was made for. However, this got me thinking. Are we really connecting though? It’s been a long time since I have face chatted with a friend. The world was filled with hope and joy as Italians nationwide had come out on balconies and windows and sang songs up and down the peninsula. It was a testament to the human spirit. It was a testament to the resilience of the Italians after centuries of invasions. The start of the spring in Italy is a time of every kind of festival, tourists visiting churches during Easter, and locals strolling through piazzas. That is not the case at the moment. As difficult as it is remaining indoors, they found a way to connect to the outside world even if it’s across the square and through an open window.
I find myself trying to organize group chats. I’m still seeing my neighbors out and about. I’m having real conversations with our sales team and I listen to their experiences and worries while working from home. I am frequenting my local grocery store for my essentials but with caution. I have taken to wearing a mask and gloves. It is not so strange anymore. We’re all doing our part. I’ve been home now for almost a week so far and yes I’m bored. The days that are warm and the sun is out, I take a stroll while practicing social distancing. The important part is that we are finding ways to connect other than burying our heads in our phones.
This is the reason why we started Loving Everything Italian. We share recipes, we import high quality accessories, we want to know about your origins and customs. At the heart, it is really a way to connect with others in shared traditions, shared laughter, or shared knowledge. We’re realizing just how important the human element is in our work and family lives. Let’s continue finding ways to find simple joy. Let’s let’s please and thank you more. Let’s show someone just how important they are.
I was happy to connect on WhatsApp. That’s what the app was made for. However, this got me thinking. Are we really connecting though? It’s been a long time since I have face chatted with a friend. The world was filled with hope and joy as Italians nationwide had come out on balconies and windows and sang songs up and down the peninsula. It was a testament to the human spirit. It was a testament to the resilience of the Italians after centuries of invasions. The start of the spring in Italy is a time of every kind of festival, tourists visiting churches during Easter, and locals strolling through piazzas. That is not the case at the moment. As difficult as it is remaining indoors, they found a way to connect to the outside world even if it’s across the square and through an open window.
I find myself trying to organize group chats. I’m still seeing my neighbors out and about. I’m having real conversations with our sales team and I listen to their experiences and worries while working from home. I am frequenting my local grocery store for my essentials but with caution. I have taken to wearing a mask and gloves. It is not so strange anymore. We’re all doing our part. I’ve been home now for almost a week so far and yes I’m bored. The days that are warm and the sun is out, I take a stroll while practicing social distancing. The important part is that we are finding ways to connect other than burying our heads in our phones.
This is the reason why we started Loving Everything Italian. We share recipes, we import high quality accessories, we want to know about your origins and customs. At the heart, it is really a way to connect with others in shared traditions, shared laughter, or shared knowledge. We’re realizing just how important the human element is in our work and family lives. Let’s continue finding ways to find simple joy. Let’s let’s please and thank you more. Let’s show someone just how important they are.