The ICF web chat: 18 July 2021

 18 July 2021

Sunday. After the mandatory walking and breakfast, settled in front of the laptop. Facebook. Not regular in scanning messages but do try to respond to the personal Good Morning messages. Just started responding to such messages when Shivam, my grandson (“I am a big boy now. I am four and half years old”) shows up and directs, “Muthashaa, Chalo (Grandpa, come)!” “Kahan (where)?”, I ask. “Neeche, chalne ke liye (downstairs, for a walk)”. Before I could react, he closes the laptop and catches hold of my hand, “Chalo”. Nobody dares question him. We go downstairs (he sometime prefers to use the stairs rather than the lift) (we are on the second floor). Ruchi, my daughter (in-law) carries his tricycle. He cycles, we walk.

After an hour Ruchi goes back with the tricycle. Shivam stays back, and so do I. We go to the park, he swings for a while, and then just walk around. We come out and walk on the road around the park. Suddenly he asks, “Which way will you take (to go in)?” There are three entrances to the small park. I point at one entry. He says, “I will come in through that (the other) entry”. We both enter the park through different entries and meet in the middle. He triumphantly giggles because he reached first.

I did not see the watch, but thought it should be around 10.30. I ask, “Shivam, shall we return home?” He is disappointed. Not willing to return yet. “Nghoo, nghoo”, he whimpers. I bend down and whispers in his ear, “Muthashan ko shoo shoo karna hai (Grandpa wants to pee)”. That settles the matter. He is immediately ready to return. He again uses the stairs.

Once inside he removes the mask and straightaway goes to the wash basin. Washes both hands with soap, each finger separately, inside the palms, the wrists, and then starts counting slowly while continuing to rub the fingers, “one, two, three, … nineteen, twenty”. Kept washing for twenty seconds. Washes away soap from both hands.

It is 11 o’ clock. I settle down once again in front of the laptop with my second breakfast. This time opens WhatsApp first. Several personal and group messages. Just glance through them casually. ICF Webinars. Vivek’s message, “We are online”. Suddenly a flash of light. Oh! The Sunday webinar, this time the free-for-all one. Am already late. Another three minutes, am in. Switch off audio (don’t want to disturb the group) and video (a little shy to eat in a meeting).

Vivek assures participants that anything can be discussed. “It is not being recorded”, he asserts with a smile. It was all about he/she, you and I. ‘Nothing official about it’. Professional, personal, chats on anything under the sun. It was more of understanding each other. Each participant talked about him/herself. The ups and downs in life, professional and personal, places one liked, and so on. We talked about linked-in, clubhouse and a few other fora. Vivek regretted our inability to meet face-to-face due to the pandemic and hoped the situation would improve soon. I liked Anupam’s suggestion that the term ‘freelance editing’ should be replaced by ‘editing profession’.

Today’s web-chat (won’t call it a webinar) was like a cool breeze in the desert. Such occasional chats will help us to sit back and relax, to unbundle some of our worries, to open our minds, in front of an understanding, empathizing, and extremely helpful group. LET US DO IT MORE OFTEN. Thank you, Murugaraj for the idea and thank you, Vivek, for organizing it and thank you participants, for making it worthwhile two hours.