Our first Tuesday Chinwag sessions were held last week and I loved them. At 11am, 3pm, and 8.30pm, I logged into Zoom on my laptop, and chatted with people who’d said they were keen for a conversation.
I knew some of the people already and we had a good catch-up about how we’re each going. More people were new acquaintances, though, which I was excited about, and it was nice to get to know them a little and to share a little of myself, too.
Originally an idea for anyone who may be feeling a little lonely and would like a friendly face and voice while having a cuppa in their home, I also discovered just how positive it was for me.
I thought I was doing quite well during this period of self-isolation and physical distancing. For the past few years I’ve lived a pretty similar existence: recovering from a breakdown, living mostly on my own (I have my kids part-time), studying via distance education, and contending with some social anxiety. Quite a good preparation for this pandemic, really!
As 2020 began, I was making plans to physically venture out more and see more people, and to start delivering courses in Mental Health First Aid (I became an accredited instructor late last year).
And then the world went batshit…
While the mental health first aid courses will soon be ready for online delivery (yay), the seeing and connecting more with people thing isn’t so replaceable, for a lot of people and not just little ginger me. Hence the idea for the Tuesday Chinwag virtual cuppa.
I’m grateful to have had some really interesting conversations with people new and known alike, and I’ll keep doing it for a while. We’re so bloody fortunate to be self-isolating during a time of video calls and live chat. Makes the Spanish Flu just after World War I so much bleaker… imagine being unable to call or even write to people.
If you’d like to have a chinwag over a virtual cuppa, head here to register and I’ll see you soon 🙂
– Joel.