Friday, March 29, 2024

A new way to celebrate

Getting together to mark major milestones has always been a cornerstone of my family. Whether it’s graduations, birthdays, holidays or game nights, the Bussler clan is always finding ways to celebrate.

The latest celebration involved my uncle, who turned 80 years old on Easter Sunday. We had planned to get together for a party on Saturday, but to keep everyone safe and follow the stay-at-home order, we cancelled the gathering and found a different way to honor him.

My brother orchestrated a virtual birthday party through Zoom, which claims to be the leader in modern enterprise video communications. Yep, we took advantage of modern technology in the new age without having anybody leave their homes. We had relatives from seven different locations joining in on the fun.

We had a split screen so that we could see everybody all at once on the monitor. This makes telecommuting seem much more human as it helps you feel connected.

With the COVID-19 coronavirus wreaking havoc across the world, Zoom has become an essential tool for many people that need to keep in touch and continue with their lives, especially for work.

Don’t ever think the Busslers aren’t hip to the latest gizmo available. Even my 86-year-old father joined in the action.

I’ll admit it wasn’t the same as getting together and sharing some laughs in person or munching on goodies and treats or even sharing a cocktail. Call me old-fashioned or whatever you want, but I prefer to see people face-to-face. Sometimes this new technology kicks my you know what as I fight to keep ahead of it all. Not easy for an old geezer like me, as my teenage daughter often reminds me.

What is important, though, is that we got the opportunity to still celebrate and recall the good old days from years gone by. Everyone had the chance to share some stories. And, yes, we even tuned up the Bussler choir and sang, “Happy Birthday.” Look out, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Busslers are knocking on your door.

Once the air clears from all this coronavirus bug, I’m sure we’ll still get together in person to celebrate the outings we’ve missed over the past month or so. We can’t remain cooped up forever, can we? It would be nice to return to civilization again.

But, in the meantime, it’s comforting to know that technology allows loved ones to communicate in ways that we couldn’t even dream about 15 to 20 years ago. I encourage anyone who has something special coming up and can’t leave home to check out Zoom. It definitely allows one to zoom in on the action wherever you may be.

Let’s hope we don’t have to go in hot pursuit of utilizing Zoom to celebrate Christmas this year!

 

 

 

See full story in this week’s print edition or subscribe online. Please subscribe here or current subscribers can login here.

Dodge County Independent

Dodge County Independent
Dodge County ADvantage
301 S. Mantorville Ave.
Plaza 57 • Suite 200
Kasson, MN 55944

Dodge County Printing
301 S. Mantorville Ave.
Plaza 57 • Suite 200
Kasson, MN 55944

507-634-7503
 
Hours: 
Monday-Thursday 10a.m.-3p.m.