Online, connected
Take away nearly all in-person communications, and you have a changed world. That’s where we find ourselves, this very moment. Some of the key functions of daily life have kept moving forward, but in a different mode of existing, online. That includes school, church, music shows, government and so many others.
While this has been a huge, sweeping change amid the COVID-19 crisis, it’s brought some groups closer together, emphasizing like never before the positive uses of social media. Some leaders have taken to Facebook Live to give regular updates on the situation in their state, one of those being Tim Ashe, the Vermont Senate president pro tempore. Hundreds have tuned in over recent weeks to his daily 5:30 p.m. updates to get the latest information about their state’s response to the outbreak.
Every now and then, the COVID-19 situation has yielded inspiring moments around doing good for others, and Ashe offered one such moment during his Friday update - and it was repeated Saturday. He appealed to his listeners to “take a few minutes to send expressions of gratitude to essential workers whose work usually goes unnoticed, undervalued, or unappreciated.” They may be taken for granted by most, but not amid the current crisis, and now they have to show up to work as everyone else stays home. Grocery store workers and hospital custodial staff were among the examples named. Ashe noted the collective power of multiple workers receiving notes of gratitude from numerous people they didn’t even know.
“They’re going to need positive encouragement, and they deserve positive encouragement,” he said.
It didn’t take long for commenters to join in that sentiment, with one participant saying she thanked the person who was spending their Saturday answering the phone in the state unemployment office. Another urged people to check in on seniors in their community to ensure their needs are being met.
That collective, healing energy is on the rise, despite the daily reminders of the impact of COVID-19. If we can foster those positive connections now, we’ll forge relationships that will see us through this struggle and benefit us for a long time to come.
— Gareth Henderson
