“This lockdown has changed everything. Amongst many other issues, it has taken a toll on our mental health. We get restless sitting at home all day, for so long. As a retired professional, I have a lot of time in hand and I can’t even meet my neighbour for a quick chai. Earlier, everybody in the gated community would sit together and meet eachother occassionally. When the lockdown was announced, it seemed like our lives went on a pause. It didn’t take us long to realise that this is how things are going to be now. It’s the new normal, they say.
One fine evening, about 20 days into the lockdown, I sent a zoom meeting invite to some of my friends in the community. I had an idea that would engage all of us, while following all the guidelines to fight the pandemic. On the call, I suggested that we use the digital media platforms of our gated community to have an e-concert. The idea was to get people to record videos of them performing and put it all together. Everybody loved it and we got started immediately! Fortunately, my colony has many active and energetic folks who love to do fun things. Since most of them were working from home for long hours on weekdays, we decided to make this a weekend activity. It was very heartwarming to see neighbours encourage each other to record videos and not be shy about it. A bathroom singer or a dancer with stage fright, our e-concert was accomodating and supportive of everyone. Soon, the idea to have a news bulletin came up. That was a lot more fun and challenging because everything from recording to editing was done by us in our own homes.
I’m not a millennial but I’m surely tech-savvy! We chose an anchor, we also got people in the apartment to advertise their businesses during breaks and we had people send in their recorded videos – perfect mix! We uploaded every video on our apartment YouTube channel named LD Prime Live and made it public. Every weekend, the members of the society would wait for the link in the evening. It has become a tradition now that we all absolutely enjoy. We’ve received a lot of love and appreciation from others watching it on YouTube as well. One small idea of just getting people together with the help of the internet has made so many of us feel more alive and kicking. Everybody was elated to receive appreciation and present their hidden talents. This lockdown has been a difficult time for many reasons but we’re looking on the bright side here!”
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