Has Our Future Changed Forever?

I'm still making the drive out to the radio station every morning. Thankfully we have enough studios that we can keep to ourselves and properly 'social distance' ourselves.

I do the morning show, a few commercials and then tidy up the studio before I leave for home. Before I leave, the radio station staff gets together online for a daily "Zoom" meeting to touch base.

I drop down to my in-laws house (who have also been socially distancing) and pick up my son, Jacob. We head back up to the house and set up shop just in time for him to make his online class.

Jacob, like so many others uses "Zoom" for his classes. I listen in and reflect on where we are technology-wise at this very moment in time.

I remember watching "Back to the Future Part II" and being fascinated at the thought of travelling to the future. Michael J. Fox's character, Marty McFly, finds himself visiting his home in the future. He sees an older version of himself using a video screen to take a phone call. Wow! Wouldn't that be something?

And yet, here we are.

We're all anxious to get back to our normal routines but I'm starting to wonder if this isn't going to become the new normal. Could work from home become the standard for some industries? Could an employer cut out the overhead expenses of a physical office to save on rent, repairs and supplies? Might our children one day find their entire education provided to them through that of a laptop computer and daily meetings with a teacher online?

Again, my mind races as to what will come next and how we will evolve after this experience of COVID-19 and Coronavirus.

Over the weekend Jacob thought it would be cool to get all the Farbers together for a "Zoom" reunion. We created an account, got a meeting link and sent it out to the gang.

Sure enough, one by one they all logged in for some chit-chat, laughs and trivia. My nine-months-pregnant sister, Katy, even stood up to show off her baby belly!

Technology is great. Are you using it a lot?

~Chris Farber

(P.S... Not to ruin it for you but Marty gets fired for conspiring with his coworker, Needles... played by none other than Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Enjoy!)