The hardest part of following the pandemic protocols for an extrovert, like me, is isolating myself away from others.

Thankfully, I have a wife and a dog who are hibernating with me, but I miss being with people, in small groups, in large groups, at the store, or the library, in church or a dinner group.

So, I’m having to find other ways to connect with those beyond the confines of my immediate family.

I called some friends from church to check on them. I’ll be doing that more often. I like talking on the phone. I remember my grandmother used to talk with her friend Bessie Brewer for an hour or two every evening. Talking on the phone comes naturally to me.

After instant messaging with my friend Ati, who we usually play dominoes in person with, I decided to see if I could find a way to play online. Yahtzee seemed a bit easier to play online, so I searched for a way to make that happen.

I found a site and just played Yahtzee online with a stranger named Oma. I lost. It was interesting, but did not fulfill my desire to connect with others. There was a little button that said “Speak”, but all you could do was choose from a few predetermined responses. I might as well have been playing with a robot.

Tomorrow, I plan to see if I can set it up to play Yahtzee with my friend Ati, while we talk on the phone. That will be much better than playing online using the “speak” button. I’m also considering doing a Facetime live where I teach some basic photography skills and answer questions. Or maybe where I show people how to teach their dog to close the door.

What are other folks doing to stay connected, while keeping your distance? I’d love more ideas.