Pandemic Necessity Invention - Phone Stand/Amplifier & Microphone Modulator, April 2020 [All Photos by Author] Many historians are encouraging us to chronicle this history-making pandemic event for future generations to look back on, much like the various news media are presently doing by dredging up all the old stories and photos from the Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918.
I will certainly remember the Stay Home-Stay Healthy directive that closed the physical locations of most businesses and schools in mid-March. We learned overnight how to telecommute to work, homeschool our children online, and visit with our medical providers via screen devices. As we had previously scheduled guests set to record interviews for our Salem History Matters radio program when it became necessary to close the KMUZ studios, it was time to get creative to allow the recording to proceed. Thus, my "satellite studio" was developed.
I will certainly remember the Stay Home-Stay Healthy directive that closed the physical locations of most businesses and schools in mid-March. We learned overnight how to telecommute to work, homeschool our children online, and visit with our medical providers via screen devices. As we had previously scheduled guests set to record interviews for our Salem History Matters radio program when it became necessary to close the KMUZ studios, it was time to get creative to allow the recording to proceed. Thus, my "satellite studio" was developed.
Remote Studio of Salem History Matters, April 2020 You will note by the photos I'm sharing that it was indeed a primitive and temporary solution at best, but it got the job done. We set up a laptop in my home office, placed the cellphone in a glass measuring cup for both proximity to the microphone and amplification. A sturdy woodworking clamp worked as my microphone modulator.
Both interviews recorded that day have aired successfully, but we don't plan to conduct further interviews in this manner. It is less than ideal to conduct phone interviews as you cannot "read" the guest, nor can you enjoy the back-and-forth flow of conversation that occurs when you are seated together due to the limitations of the technology. But it was important to get these stories out into the public arena where they can move from person to another. We'll be airing encore episodes until the real studios can open once again.
Both interviews recorded that day have aired successfully, but we don't plan to conduct further interviews in this manner. It is less than ideal to conduct phone interviews as you cannot "read" the guest, nor can you enjoy the back-and-forth flow of conversation that occurs when you are seated together due to the limitations of the technology. But it was important to get these stories out into the public arena where they can move from person to another. We'll be airing encore episodes until the real studios can open once again.
As a wordsmith, I am more than tired of hearing the same phraseology repeated over and over, such as "living in unprecedented" or "uncertain" times;" all time is uncertain and unprecedented, not just that within a crisis period. I've learned that I am truly a "people" person, and this forced physical separation in the name of "social distancing" has been extremely difficult for me, although I fully understand and accept its necessity. All the "video-chats," "virtual hugs" and "air kisses" do not satisfy this need to connect with those we enjoy and love.
Now, five or six weeks (or is it seven or eight--time seems to blur?) into this new life, I have adjusted better and have found ways to feel connected, apart. Not that I'm boasting, but I've completed six 1000-1500-piece jigsaw puzzles single-handedly, which I then swap with my across-the-street neighbors--using the appropriate social distancing, of course--for those they have completed.
Now, five or six weeks (or is it seven or eight--time seems to blur?) into this new life, I have adjusted better and have found ways to feel connected, apart. Not that I'm boasting, but I've completed six 1000-1500-piece jigsaw puzzles single-handedly, which I then swap with my across-the-street neighbors--using the appropriate social distancing, of course--for those they have completed.
It is important for us to document how our lives have changed, how we've adjusted to this "new normal." Just as we love learning about how our ancestors lived, so will our descendants want to know about our crazy times. I personally hope that we will remember the better parts of this crisis--making the unnecessary things and activities obvious to us and clearly marking what is important to each of us, recognizing the wealth of our relationships with family and friends, and that even the smallest acts of kindness can carry immeasurable weight in another's life.
We are being tested. Let's strive for a good outcome--one that lasts for more than a news cycle. Take care. We'll be back together yet again.
We are being tested. Let's strive for a good outcome--one that lasts for more than a news cycle. Take care. We'll be back together yet again.
~~Posted by Deb Meaghers
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