[Fredslist] And so it has been going ...

[Shelley Simpson, Esq]

Almost two years ago we Gothamites embarked on an uncertain journey fueled with a burning desire to keep our community together and help each other navigate through CoronaTimes.

First step – move our meetings from rooms to zooms. Not everyone liked that plan. Soon “zoom fatigue” replaced complaints about commuting. And yet we kept moving forward.

As we start to come out on the other side of the pandemic, this chronicler has made some observations. 

Obstacles gave rise to opportunity. We have seen our community grow as new members joined and former members have returned. 

Uncertainty in the workplace and elsewhere?  Offer Tuesday COVID updates which evolved into Business Seminars.

Concern over how to build our businesses while in lockdown? More meetings, more promos, more opportunities to ride the circuit, and virtual 1-1s. Bring a Guest Days offered an opportunity to bring new faces to the screen. New groups were formed to take advantage of the age of virtual networking.

Our need to laugh and play? Offer Zoom entertainment - Karaoke, magic, musicians, comics, all made their way to our screens.  The Battle of the bands went virtual and International. We learned that Gotham has talent albeit at varying degrees.

Happy hours that were occasional became weekly gatherings where we learned that some of us tell jokes and some tell jokes that are actually funny.  And some of us are natural laugh tracks.
Last month we ventured off zoom and returned to in-person, full-body, gatherings for the Yankee-Mets Game, our annual picnic and the Bob Formica Golf Outing. 

As quickly as we moved to virtual reality, our reality became virtually as though no time had passed.

After 2 years looking at disembodied faces in boxes, many of us met in person for the first time with some surprises. Some of us are taller, some not so tall. Some wear silly shorts. Some are more shy in person, some more outgoing. We all like to eat, and laugh and enjoy being together.

Voices have greater resonance in person, smiles are warmer, conversation is easier.  We enjoy fist and elbow bumps and even some hugs. Gathering live and in-person is the best!

We have come a long way together on this crazy journey. And it is not quite over yet.

Gotham being what it is … protean in nature … isn’t going backward. We will, no doubt, move into the next stage keeping the old and new tools in our Gotham toolbox and adding more as we go.

So stay tuned – there have been silver linings along the way and the best is yet to come.  


shelleygram™️ 


Be Well! 

 
Shelley Simpson, JD
Business Development & Success Partner 
646-549-7217

Inspiring healthy living, conscious giving and sustainable growing globally!
 P.S. There is a simple and convenient way to reduce systemic inflammation and positively impact your overall health …



 
Shelley Simpson, JD
Business Development & Success Partner 
646-549-7217

Inspiring healthy living, conscious giving and sustainable growing globally!




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