Page 8 - December 2020 Voices

COVER STORY

What it takes to keep a community together is determination, a willingness to make mistakes and a lot of humility

He was a bit reluctant, noncommittal until Teams, Google Hangout and live video chats.
I threatened to take one of our granddaughters I learned how to record, upload, download,

instead of him. Sensing he was relenting, I made reload videos and images
all the reservations at the end of February… to Zoom, YouTube,
airfare, hotel, convention…excitement was Facebook and the church
building. The first week of March, I landed in the website. I learned how In 2020
hospital needing emergency surgery to remove to create a promotional
about Zoom as almost What made you sad?
my gallbladder. It was a simple procedure and I video. I learned as much
bounced back quickly, out of necessity.
By the next weekend, just nine days later, the anyone, simply by trial

whole world had mostly shut down, including and error. I learned that What did you learn?
the Lutheran church where I am the pastor. what it takes to keep a
I was scrambling to record Sunday worship community together
services/messages on Zoom. It was just me in the is determination, a What gave you joy?
sanctuary, standing in front of my laptop, in front willingness to make

of the altar, walking through the morning service mistakes and a lot of What gives you hope
and singing a hymn, solo, unaccompanied. humility.
Two weeks later, Cedar Hills Toastmasters Club I also learned that

751 began meeting on Zoom and I became the everything fits into a for 2021?
defacto Zoom Master. grander scheme.
As the weeks turned into months, it became About the time
clear that there would be no trip to Paris. I was we would have been
sad. This was going to be the trip of a lifetime preparing to leave for Paris, I had another

for Carl and me. But, as we look back on it now, emergency health issue, this one far more
we can answer the second question for the year: serious. At the end of July, I was hospitalized for
what did you learn in 2020? I learned that I a week after a series of small strokes. The end

am not a “techno-turtle” Luddite, contrary to result was two major surgeries to clear plaque
what my grandkids would have you believe. In from my carotid arteries. It seems that 50 years
Toastmasters and at church we have adapted to of smoking, 40 years of hormone replacement, a
the new use of technology. We continue to learn family history of stroke and high blood pressure
the subtle power of the Zoom platform. Others was a near fatal combination. I am so thankful
have mastered Facebook Live and Microsoft for 21st century medical procedures. I am now

8 ONE COMMUNITY