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Since early March I’ve been working from home. With most of my family self – isolating down the South Coast that has meant time alone in an apartment in inner-west Sydney. There have been the usual nbn teething problems, scandi noir binge watching and daily walks but no change to work! Still just as busy with the complexity of online meetings and moving deadlines.
What’s missing – laughter! Last Friday night I had a virtual drink with a group of my oldest friends – seriously – I have known two since I was four years old. The drinks were supposed to be with the girls, but the husbands started appearing in the background, refreshing drinks or just butting in with comments. There we were online exchanging witty one-liners, sharing absurd memories from almost fifty years of friendship. One of them has bought a gin still and has been testing the latest batch with his family to mixed reviews. Another was trying to find the planets that were supposed to be appearing in the night sky. Laughed ‘til I cried – that’s what I needed.
It’s the incidental conversations with family that you miss – the arguments about what you will watch together, the inability to agree on take away, the exclamations about another trip needed to the recycle bin!
It’s the incidental conversations at work that you miss – the shared laughs and gossip, the outrage at the latest misstep from a colleague, the complaints about the coffee, the illicit eating of chocolate at your desk.
It’s the incidental conversations with friends that you miss – when they are leaving for their next overseas trip (groan), what’s on sale at Aldi this week and what was the book we were reading for Book club – I’ve forgotten!
What’s missing – laughter! Last Friday night I had a virtual drink with a group of my oldest friends – seriously – I have known two since I was four years old. The drinks were supposed to be with the girls, but the husbands started appearing in the background, refreshing drinks or just butting in with comments. There we were online exchanging witty one-liners, sharing absurd memories from almost fifty years of friendship. One of them has bought a gin still and has been testing the latest batch with his family to mixed reviews. Another was trying to find the planets that were supposed to be appearing in the night sky. Laughed ‘til I cried – that’s what I needed.
It’s the incidental conversations with family that you miss – the arguments about what you will watch together, the inability to agree on take away, the exclamations about another trip needed to the recycle bin!
It’s the incidental conversations at work that you miss – the shared laughs and gossip, the outrage at the latest misstep from a colleague, the complaints about the coffee, the illicit eating of chocolate at your desk.
It’s the incidental conversations with friends that you miss – when they are leaving for their next overseas trip (groan), what’s on sale at Aldi this week and what was the book we were reading for Book club – I’ve forgotten!