Happiness is...

Happiness is...My eldest son coming home today. He has been in the US for 15 months -- working and doing his exchange year at university.
I saw him in NYC when I went for the RWA Nationals but the time was way too short.
Having gone abroad for my Junior year of university, I knew there was no way that I was going to stand in his way but I'm just glad that he is coming home. After all he is my baby boy -- although now he is all grown up.
Skype has been invaluable over the last year. Phone calls are great but to actually see someone you love in nearly real time and talk to them, even though they are thousands of miles away is priceless.
About 15 years ago, my mother's partner  wrote a paper on the fact that soon people would be using  the internet to do video phone calls, particularly grandparents to grandchildren. He was thinking about my mother. Various people in the know in the Silicon Valley laughed at him and said -- it would never happen. At that time a super fast modem was 28. It could take 20 minutes to download a simple picture. And apparently there was no demand.
This weekend, my son FINALLY set my mother up on skype (at his request she got broadband) and so it has happened. I am very glad that I will be able to skype my mother as well.
Long distance families require things like video conferencing and I am glad that skype does such a great job.
But you still can't hug a computer...

The Grandeer Connection

Way back in 1994/5 when the internet was first beginning to take off, modems speeds were slow and my children very young, my mother's partner wrote a paper for a class he was taking. It was all about how in the future, the internet would be used as a video link so people could keep in touch. He got a low mark and was laughed at. The paper was called the Grandeer Connection after the pet name my children had given my mother.
For a number of reasons, we have never used video links, even though they have become common place. (Among other things we both hate having our picture taken!) That is until now.
Today, I waved my eldest goodbye as he starts his first leg of his 16 month adventure which includes spending time at my sister's and doing an exchange programme at the University of Illinois for the academic year. He's 19 now and will be nearly 21 when I next see him in the flesh again. I am very excited for him -- after all I did the same sort of thing 25 years ago and know how thrilling it is and how much it change your life -- but I will miss him.
One of the things he has done is to ensure we have a webcam and are connected to skype.
It will be good to see him. But I rather suspect that he will want to see Tess, Hardy, Chile and the kittens far more than seeing the rest of us! Did I mention that I hate having my picture taken?
Anyway, my mother's partner was right all those years ago -- the internet does provide a great way to keep in touch with those people who are far away.