I learned something today

A couple of weeks back we had a conversation with some of our American friends via Zoom. When I say Zoom I'm not talking about the 80s Hit by Fat Larry's Band. (Nice topical reference there.) I'm talking about a video messaging / conferencing service.

(Shareholders in Zoom must be happy people at present as more and more people seem to be using Zoom to communicate. Zoom is the in thing for communication. In fact, already I’m hearing the phrase “Let’s Zoom” meaning “let’s have a conversation using Zoom.”. When a brand name becomes a verb to describe an activity you know you’ve made it. Like, to hoover – meaning to use a vacuum cleaner or to Google - meaning to search the internet.)

Anyway, as I was saying, we were talking to our friends using Zoom. And our friend Lucy said to us “So what have you guys learned lately?” It was (as the Americans would say) a very left field question; an unexpected question. But a good question.

I don’t remember what I said, though my wife mentioned something she’d started doing and found helpful – keeping a journal.

However, if I spoke to Lucy today, I’d be able to tell her that I’ve learned this morning how to Mail Merge and print off address labels. This is a big step forward for me. Let me tell you why.

Up to now during the Covid 19 shut down, each week I’ve been sending to Church members an Order of Service for Sunday and a Reflection (a mini sermon if you like) based on one of the Bible passages. Where possible this has gone via email. But I’ve realised that a large proportion of my congregations don’t have access to email. Or at least even if they can access the internet it might be from a phone or tablet and they can’t print.

Therefore, each week I’ve been sending out around 50 letters containing the Order of Service and Reflection. Initially I was printing these at home on an ordinary inkjet printer. A slow process and one that used a lot of ink. Now one of my colleagues has said if I email the documents to him, he will go into his church (which has a photocopier) copy the documents and let me have them back for posting.

That’s a big help. But then there’s all the envelopes. Until today I’d handwritten them all. Not a problem other than having rubbish handwriting and it takes time. But now here’s where my learning comes in.

I’ve learned the technique of Mail Merge.

And how did I learn what to do? I looked up a tutorial on You Tube. The person who had made the tutorial did a great job as I got the Mail Merge to work straight away. (I must admit to having a tiny bit of knowledge from years ago, but it was very rusty.)

This may not seem the most interesting topic for blog I admit. But it got me thinking about how I managed to do what I’ve done.
I remember being sent on a course by work (I think over two days) to learn how to use Microsoft Word. This would have been around 1992. There were about about 10 of us in the class all seated in front of a great big monitor and we followed along as the tutor took us through Word. I have used Word pretty confidently ever since – though obviously until today not Mail Merge.

And a few years later I went on another course with work to learn about Excel. I don’t use Excel very much. But when I do need to use it for something I’m not sure of, I reach for a YouTube tutorial.

YouTube is a wonderful resource to find out how to do something. Especially if, like me, you like to see how to do something, not just read about it. (Another friend of mine tells me she’s looked up a tutorial on how to cut her husband’s hair!)

So, Lucy. What have I learned today? I learned Mail Merge. But I’ve also learned a valuable lesson.

I’ve learned that modern technology is amazing. The fact that we could Zoom recently was terrific. The fact that the four of us could sit and talk for an hour and see one another was wonderful. Similarly, we talked to our friends in Germany on the weekend (though via Skype.) We’ve talked to friends in Swindon and had a Saturday evening drink together via Houseparty.

But I’ve also learned that for some people, older people in particular, who don’t have access to Zoom, YouTube and so on, a phone call means so much. I’ve used the phone more in the last two weeks than I would normally. And I know a call from a friendly voice means the world of difference to someone on their own.

Also, a card or a letter means so much too. I sent out a Palm Cross and an Easter Card to everyone in my 4 churches. In fact I’ve just had a call from one person who was so pleased to receive these. I’ve had several similar calls over the last couple of days.

There’s already talk of what the world will be like after the Covid 19 shut down ends (whenever that may be.) I hope that when this is over all of us can think back about what we’ve learned. Not just how to do Mail Merge but learn that we’ve appreciated conversation with friends. To learn that it’s been good to say “hello” to someone 2m away and see them smile. To learn that we need to appreciate health workers and stand up for them. To learn that we need to appreciate “the key workers”, shop workers, delivery drivers, postmen and women, refuse collectors, police officers etc etc etc, all those people who keep society ticking over.

I’ve learned loads today. What about you?