Network connectivity

Am I visible?
Am I audible?

These two phrases have become an integral part of our communication.

How does a typical online meeting begins?
Participant 1 – Good morning, everyone
Participant 2 – silence
Participant 3- silence
Participant 4- silence
Participant 5- Good morning, everyone
Silence
Participant 1 – is it only me who can’t hear anything, or no one is speaking?
Participant 2,3,4,5 (together)- yes yes, everyone is here
Participant 1- Oh! thank god
Let’s start then

Goes on speaking
Participant 1- am I audible?
Participant 2,3,4,5 – yes, yes, go on.
Ok, let me share my screen
Is my screen visible?
Participant 2,3,4,5 – yes, yes, go on.

And then it goes on repeat mode.

The Internet has turned the world into a global village. You can virtually travel the world as a whole sitting in your living room or keep an eye on someone’s backyard with the help of google earth. You need not travel and spend much money to see your loved ones, and video calls are just enough.

It’s been almost two years now that children have not been to school. The age where children should be running around, playing pranks and being punished by the teacher, having those little crushes followed by heartbreaks. Everything came to a standstill, and the new way of living crept into our lives.

There was a point where everyone was worried about the increased screen time, and now is the time where we barely move away from the screen.

The gadgets are more than the number of people in the family. Each one engrossed in their world. Someone bursts into laughter, and others wonder why? Another member would be engaged in a very informative article unperturbed by the commotion around.
To call up my boys for meals, I either have to scream on top of my voice or remove their headphones to say,” am I audible?”
Well! My teen has a remarkable ability to mute all the good gyan given by me and make me believe that I am invisible.

These two phrases, “Am I audible?” and “Am I visible?” are far more significant and have a deep learning for our everyday lives.

For my teen,

The book, Born to Run talks about the world’s fastest running tribe called Tarahumara. This tribe lives in complete isolation and to reach them is next to impossible. It takes around three to four days of driving, walking, hiking to reach their habitat.

They don’t like intruders, so even if one can reach their location, it is protocol to sit far away from their hut, sometimes for a few days. If Tarahumara spots you and is willing to interact, then they’ll welcome you; else, you can move back the same route.

Similarly, my teen has a selective audio-video ability. He’ll be audible whenever he wishes to and visible only when he wants to move out of his room.

He lives in his world with his choice of audience.

His audio video never goes weak while chatting with his friends, but it’s a different scenario when school classes are on.

He wants to be heard or seen by his selective audience, and anyone who invaded his privacy has to ask him, “Am I audible?” “Am I visible?”. Be prepared for a blunt, “NO.”

For inner peace,

In an official meeting with several participants, there is always someone who takes the lead, a few contribute as required, and then there are a few who remain on mute throughout the meeting.

The meeting goes on for all types of participants.

There are moments in life when you want to speak and want your voice to be heard, but due to a poor network, your voice never reaches the right audience, and you remain inaudible.

At times the network strikes back with excellent connectivity, but by then, you’ve lost all zeal to repeat, and again you remain inaudible.

Every voice doesn’t gain attention in all audience types, so one must be wise enough to choose the right audience.

If you have strong views about something, you want to share them, but still, the voice doesn’t reach as desired, then it is better to stay mute and need not ask, Am I audible? End the meeting and leave.

For my pet,

Tango ensures he is heard and seen whenever he is in need. If he is hungry, he’ll come to me barking even when the entire family is around. He knows whom to reach out in times of crisis.
He’ll bark at me, scratch my leg, jump on me and will do all tricks to make himself heard and visible.
Why does he do so?
For he knows that he is allowed to be himself with me. So he has the confidence that I’ll hear him. So he has faith in me.
Why do I allow him to do so?
He knows that he has come to the right person. So I don’t get hurt when he scratches me and don’t even close my ears when he barks.

I let him be.

I like when he shows his ownership and believe in his belief in me.
He has reached the target audience to be heard and seen.

So in case you’ve tried all ways and means to be heard and seen, but your efforts go unnoticed, then my dear, you’ve entered a wrong meeting with poor network connectivity