There’s been quite a lot of commotion these days about the emergence of “Zoom.” A fabulous new technology actually. At the beginning of this year? Zoom sessions totaled about 10M per month. Today meetings, events, cocktail hours. Wow! We never have to go to the office any more. Maybe schooling on line can really be as good as the classroom.Nothing could be more fallacious!Personal connection, touch trumps Zoom … every time.Touch vs Zoom? Not even close.

I admit this is a repeating theme of my writings lately. But I just see this issue as so defining, critical as our world becomes more mechanical, less personal. This is one of the greatest learning experiences, threats actually we need to heed and learn from amidst the catastrophe of COVID19.Try this. Get face to face with someone you love. Your spouse, a child or grandchild … a parent. Get close. Look into each other’s eyes softly with both of your hands on both  cheeks … for 10 seconds.Now stop. Embrace the feeling you have. A tear maybe. Even a little surprise of how this hits you? That’s touch. That’s human connection. Touch vs Zoom? Trumps Zoom… every time.

You get it.All those Zoom calls of late. Entertaining. Connection of sorts. But different. Informative. Effective in getting things done. Sharing information. But still different. Something’s missing.Then there are those penetrating times when touch is really different. In such a good way. I have a recurring, wonderful memory of a “touch filled” moment. Many years ago I visited my daughter and my two year old granddaughter here in Atlanta. I walked in the front door and there was she was.

Payson. In a little pink jump suit. Playing with her toys. Cheeks red with the fun only a child can truly know.As I came in the door she turned. Beamed the biggest, brightest wide smile I have ever seen. “PopPop!!” she screamed. Dropped her toys. Sprung to her feet and ran to that hug around my legs I’ll never forget. Could I have Zoomed her and been so touched that I’d remember that “PopPop!!” … ?  Never. 

Sunday night I watched a special featuring Martha McCallum’s book, Unknown Valor She had searched the country for still living vets who had served with her deceased uncle, Harry Gray in WW War ll. He was killed by a mortar shell at Iwo Jima in the early 1940s. She found two. When Martha met with each she showed both an old, impaired picture of her uncle. Here … seventy years later … 70. The tears flowed, voices trembled, eyes looked downward. They each overcome with emotion … instantly blurted, “That’s Harry. That’s Harry Gray!”McCallum held back her own tears. Too professionally in my opinion.

A striking example of the God given gift of personal touch.Do those Zoom calls. They have value. But please take those ten seconds to connect eyes with a loved one as I’ve suggested above. This may be even one of your own “PopPop!!” moments.