In these unprecidented times….
It kind of feels like that is the new way to start an email or newsletter or update of any kind from any institution. Honestly, I’m pretty sure no one used that phrase to start an email last year, and suddenly it feels about as common as “hello”
Actually , we’re collectively Googling that exact phrase as well. I guess it’s being used so much, there are some who aren’t sure exactly what it means, but are running into it so much, they had to ask Google.
We’re also apparently all in on virtual everything now. Virtual meetings, virtual school, virtual church, virtual choirs, virtual conferences. Again, apparently were asking Google what this actually means
Some of the winners in this current situation are those who sell these virtual solutions, like Zoom, and searches for them have spiked. So too, phrases that suddenly are part of our everyday conversations that were never there before, not directly related to this virus, but part of our lives now thanks to this virus. Phrases like: face masks, social distancing, PPE, ICU, are all now being searched.
Apparently were also confused, and days of working from home, isolation, and upended schedules have started to play with our own awareness our surroundings:
I’m sure someday sociologists will look at all this and tease out insights, but for now I guess its just a few indicates that we are truly living in unprecidented times.
Or at the very least, virtually unprecedented times.