128 days ago10 comments
Categories: Lifestyle
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Nowadays we’re not seeing certain people as frequently as we used to. And I’ve noticed changes in people that probably would have not been noticed in the regular and gradual personal interactions of “normal” times. Perhaps it’s the Zoom or Facetime camera, poor lighting, neglect in grooming, but I’ll see someone who I haven’t seen in a while and can’t help but comment to myself about a change of appearance. Yes. I sometimes wonder whether others are seeing me similarly. Is there something wrong with my computer or is something else going on?
I see a lot more beards on men. And this reminds me of Rona’s posts about letting her nails grow out. On a more serious note, I see it when I FaceTime with my parents. My mom used to go to “the beauty parlor“ every week. Now she is adapting, and coloring her own hair. She called me the other day and was all excited about her experience with an “E-salon“ to chose a hair color. She’s doing a great job, but I think she feels older. That’s hard to see. This is taking a toll. I do think lighting and background, placement of your computer, all those things are important on zoom. I interviewed a candidate who refused to lower her camera below her chin even though the panel of interviewers gently asked her to adjust it because it was distracting. Later, after she did not get the job, she asked me for an exit interview and I mentioned this to her. She said oh, and laughed. “I just hate my double chins!“ Unfortunately, He choice made the panel uncomfortable- I think it cost her the job because it felt strange.
I notice my own bags under my eyes and more gray hair when first logging into video formats. It is the nature of the beast. You get an up close few and can see how age. Yes, I believe people are also less involved in their appearance for the most part without the live interaction.
Remember what mothers said about always wearing clean underwear when you go out in case you're in an accident?.....I always try to look in a mirror before going on a Zoom meeting, and adjusting my view on the screen ahead of time...the rest is life going on even as we are waiting for this new reality to go away! Acceptance is a good thing!
To add to the above, a biomedical friend was talking about the health cost of our collective dramatic loss of social interaction: shortened mitochondria & telomeres, those cellular tentacles that absorb nutrients and are a measure of genomic Or aging vitality. When the 2020 morbidity & mortality stats are in, I predict aberrational spikes in both due to the stresses resulting from from both isolation and lack of access to healthcare, boy to mention direct COVID casualties. Ergo: We are so lucky to have Gotham!
Seeing the screen shots can be alarming and also a reminder that smiling is a good idea when on Zoom. I also wonder if we are all busy looking at how we look and not at others ... that is except for Fred who obviously looks at Nancy.