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Did I Smell The Roses?

On March 12, 2020, me and 50 of my colleagues met in the back of our office. Our executive director had an announcement. The room is a nice size for meetings and eating our lunch, but when all of us are there, standing shoulder to shoulder, we fill it up.

When I think about it, this may not have been the best place to congregate during a global pandemic. Statistically speaking, at least one or two of us were likely exposed to the virus unknowingly.

But, I digress…

“We aren’t sure what is going on with this virus, but we want to be responsible. So, we want everyone to work from home until further notice. We don’t know how long it will be but go back to your desks, take what you think you might need for the next two weeks, and head on home. We will stay in touch,” said the man in charge.

That was seven months ago, but it seems like a lifetime. Since then, I adjusted to working from home, managed a full house since everyone was sent home, got furloughed, networked my ass off to find a job, and started a new job. And in the midst of all that I ate a lot of salmon for dinner, ran many loads of laundry, and cleaned out closets.

Did I stop to smell the roses during the lockdown? I’d like to think so. We bought fresh flowers every week to brighten up the place. Does that count?

I definitely did more than my typical number of jigsaw puzzles. We all sat down to dinner at the same time every night because we had nowhere else to be. Jenna taught me how to apply eye shadow since that is the only part of my face people will see while wearing a mask. Andrew was in charge of family movie nights. We played Cards Against Humanity with our teenage children – that was a fun night!

Looking back, I wish I had done more. This pandemic definitely gave me the gift of time with my family. But, it was still stressful. We didn’t know what we were dealing with and everything was scary. Something as mundane as grocery shopping was scary. Someone coughing nowhere near me was terrifying.

And not only was it stressful, but every day I tried to bring some small element of normalcy back into our lives without feeling guilty. I let the kids hang out with one or two friends on occasion. I forgot to put my mask on when I went to drop something off at a friend’s house.
I hugged my parents.

Did I stop and smell the roses? I hope so. I honestly can’t remember. All I can say is that in five years when Facebook memories remind me of the mask-wearing, social distancing, and family bonding, I can say I was grateful for our time together and I’m glad it’s over.

 

 

 

Learning Social Media

As a content creator and blogger, I love working with social media. I am happy when I earn your “likes” and ever so grateful there is no “dislike” button. I don’t think I could take that kind of rejection.

Since 2008, Facebook has been my go-to platform for work and personal writing. It is my online home for what is happening in my daily life. It helped me find a community of writers and readers. Throughout my career, I’ve used FB to inform, engage, and inspire others to take action and hopefully write checks to worthy causes.

But, deep down, I knew there was a whole world of social media that I was not a part of and that needed to change.Here is what I’ve discovered so far.

LinkedIn

Coming in a close second to Facebook is LinkedIn. The platform is easy to learn because it is similar to Facebook. I love it because I can keep my personal life out of it and focus on my personal brand instead. I learned how to network online better than I ever did at an in-person happy hour. And I am more likely to befriend strangers on LinkedIn than on Facebook because they could be the missing link to a new opportunity.

Here’s the bottom line. If we want successful careers, LinkedIn must be a big part of it.

Twitter

I never thought Twitter would last this long. Wasn’t it a few years ago when people were calling for its demise? As a writer, how can I possibly say all I want to say in 140 (now 280) characters or less? It was too limiting for me, and I didn’t want to bother with it. But, I think the Trump administration has changed my mind about Twitter. For the record, I don’t follow the president on Twitter. He doesn’t deserve me as a follower; if only to read what outrageous thing he tweets next. However, I am a huge fan of members of the media. Jake Tapper, Dan Rather, Yamiche Alcindor, and other media giants may not be my Facebook friends, but I would follow them anywhere. As an added bonus, this platform has also introduced me to some of my favorite pop culture stars of the decade – Sarah Cooper, Randy Rainbow, and my all-time favorite – Room Rater.

Twitter – I’m a fan.

Instagram

Where to start? If I want to see what my kids are up to, I need to be on Instagram. They don’t post that often, but when they do I get a window into their lives. As a content creator, I don’t have the best images to post. I know that a picture speaks a thousand words. But what pictures work best? And what are the rules? Do I have to be a graphic designer to be effective as a marketer? Is it okay to share other people’s images and repost with my own content?

Instagram – I don’t understand you yet, but I’m not giving up.

The back end

Digital marketing didn’t exist when I went to college. So, I’m learning it now. I’m spending my Thursday evenings taking classes toward an integrated digital marketing certificate. Before this, I used to think learning one platform and doing it well was the way to go, but that is no longer the case. There are so many social media platforms to choose from and if you want to reach a certain demographic or target audience, you need to know where they live online and engage with them on a regular basis. And it isn’t enough to learn the ins and outs of the social media platforms. You also need to know the tricks of the trade to get noticed. Things like images, hashtags, keywords, analytics, and search engine optimization.

So much to learn and so little time. But, I’ll get there because I like being social.

COVID Will Not Cancel Christmas

I know people are worried about COVID-19 canceling or at least changing the holidays. It is true that our holidays –  like everything else in 2020 – will be different, but honestly, I think Christmas is the one thing that is too big to be ruined by a global pandemic.

Yes, you will have to make adjustments. Christmas dinner may be safer with just your immediate family in attendance. Church services will probably take place via Zoom. As a Jew who has been on many online Shabbat services and most recently Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – our holiest of holidays – I can tell you that I still felt connected to my community despite not being able to pray in our sanctuary. I hope and pray it will be the same for you.

And as a bonus, you don’t have to get all dressed up. I watched my son read HafTorah from the comfort of my family room couch wearing my pajamas and fuzzy slippers. While I did miss the fall fashion show that coincides with the holiday every year at temple, I was able to focus even more on the meaning of the holiday instead of which hat Mrs. Levin was wearing this year. I do love her hats!

And let’s face it. Christmas is EVERYWHERE! To get into the holiday spirit, make some egg nog and turn on the Hallmark channel. Blast Christmas carols throughout your home and in the car. Decorate your tree and include those special 2020 ornaments to commemorate the historical year we are having. And surely, twinkling Christmas lights and decorations will still deck our Facebook halls – I mean walls.

Regardless of what holiday you celebrate, the spirit of joy and giving won’t go away. There are plenty of charities to donate to and volunteer your time. Just make sure to don your holiday masks and COVID-themed t-shirts. For my fellow Jews, I haven’t heard of a chocolate gelt or dreidel shortage, so we should be able to celebrate Chanukah just fine.

No matter how or what we celebrate, may we be safe, healthy, and even more grateful and thankful for everything good in our lives. And pray for a more normal 2021!

 

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