Open Letter to My Friends

April 3, 2020

Dear Friends,

I have been on hold with ATT U-verse for 20 minutes now.  The recording warned there would be a longer than usual wait and they weren’t kidding.  My problem is connectivity.  Apparently, my portal can’t be confirmed.  Logging in is useless.  The most frustrating thing is that I can’t read on my Libby App.  I keep getting a message telling me the link can’t be trusted.  Not surprised as my portal doesn’t seem to exist at the moment.

In the Age of Corona, life is slowing down yet again.  No on-line at the moment so no news.  That is probably a good thing.  I regard this as a little taste of what our lives would be like again without the internet.  Analog would come back.  Card catalogs at libraries would come back.  Smart chips would disappear from vehicles and home garage repairs would become normal again.  And that’s just a taste of life returned to the 90s and pre-The Web.

My rosary today as actually unaccompanied.  I managed to find prayers for the Sorrow Mysteries and quietly said my rosary on the side porch.  I was kept company by the presence of birds and squirrels.  It was pleasant but they were a bit of a distraction as well.  They can be pretty funny as they go about their activities.  I’ve been observing them for a few days now and their activities seem to mainly focus on finding food, defending territories, and nesting.  The squirrels are a little more expansive as they seem to incorporate playtime into their activities.  Chasing each other around tree trunks is a favorite activity.

It rained last night but lightly so my sleep was undisturbed.  The difference between today’s sky and yesterday’s is dramatic.  Yesterday the sky was a brilliant blue and voluminous white clouds filled the sky.  By noon though, things had changed to a cloudless, dull blue.  Today the sky is gray without a hint of blue but there is no feeling of rain coming again.  It’s just dull and bleak much like how many of us are feeling. 

Yesterday I made several phone calls, touching base with friends and family who cannot be seen right now.  Glenda is finally home.  Sharon stops in at the driveway occasionally and we converse from the porch.  My daughter and husband are able to manage the household by only one person going to the store and the other staying in with the kids.  The kids go to the park occasionally but only get out if there are no other people around.  What a life they are living right now.  I feel for them so much.

I’m thinking that I may have to start sending snail mail to friends farther away who are not easy to reach.  They may still be connected to the internet but I am not so, as the broken link, it is up to me to forge a new sort of link.  Yes, snail mail, the new communication.  LOL.  As I sit here on hold with ATT U-verse, I don’t dare check my Contacts for a phone number to use on my landline.  After 45 minutes on hold, I don’t dare do anything to lose my place in line.  So, when this is all over with today I will export my phone numbers and make an off-line document I can use to access numbers to make calls on my landline. Yes, I did say “today”.  How hopeful I am that the issue will be resolved. 

I’m thinking about actually sending this musing to friends everywhere – a sort of Age of Corona card.  Many of you do not have our landline phone number here in Missouri so, as you read this, please enter this phone number into your contacts.  (573) 922-5020 I would hate to call you from my landline and look like a spam call coming from Missouri or be a call marked Unknown.  I don’t answer most such calls and I don’t expect you to either.  So help me out here, friends.  Relying on our landline may become more common as we also get better connections on it.

All my best.  My prayers are for you all.

Annie

p.s.  I just had the nicest talk with ATT.  Jay in the Philippines went over and above to help me with my problem.  Now I’m going to download those phone numbers and print them out so I can use them on my landline.