I think it was in March 2020 that Covid started becoming a “thing” that we needed to plan our lives around. For the Center for Compassionate Living (CCL) it meant the end of practice groups and classes at our sweet space on Southwest Industrial Way in Bend. We had just signed a new year-long lease for $850-ish /mo., and we wondered how we were going to make the rent without offering classes, etc. We had a fairly good financial cushion and our community continued to support us as we all waited for things to “get back to normal.” A year later we gave up our space because things were not back to normal, and we didn’t want to continue the financial burden without clarity on when we could meet again in person.

Of course, what “saved” the Center was Zoom, the widely used online videoconferencing software. Being less-than-competent in the technical field, Zoom was at first intimidating. But due to its easy-to-use interface, it was not long before we were able to continue offering practice groups and classes. What a relief and what a joy!

Gradually, people from outside of Central Oregon began to find our offerings and join us. What a wonderful new experience for us (and for other organizations) to be available to people no matter where they live. Today we often have people in practice groups and classes that live elsewhere in the West, on the East Coast, or even as far away as Australia.

As some of you know, I will soon be moving to Corvallis, Oregon, after making Central Oregon my home for more than thirty years. A year ago, I visited Yachats on the Oregon Coast with two of my long-time bosom NVC buddies, and the time together was so lovely that I started thinking about moving and having new experiences in a new place. I’ll be 73 this year, and I want to have more adventures while I am still physically capable. Corvallis is an hour from the coast and three hours from Bend, where I have family and community.

Thanks to freely available and user-friendly videoconferencing technology, the decision to move was made so much easier: I can continue to participate in our groups and offer classes. I don’t know if I would have made the move if we were still meeting in person, but in our new changed world, I can have it all. I do plan to come back to Bend regularly and hope to take part in in-person groups—Tuesday Practice Group at Hollingshead Park for one—as well as offer in-person workshops periodically.

So, thank you, Zoom. Thank you for all the wonderful people I’ve met; the practice group participants who are such intimate friends, the flexibility to meet people one-on-one for empathy and coaching, and the CCL Board who continue to be wonderfully supportive.

I’m feeling happy, grateful, delighted, excited, curious, touched, and amazed with needs met for connection, love, learning, growing, adventure, collaboration, intimacy, compassion—and more!

Hugs, Bryn