Finding the Light
It is strange to watch television with someone who is not physically in the room with you, but this is what Mel and I did many nights during the semesters apart. As Harvey got older, he was less inclined to jump up on the couch with me. There was distance between us because that space on the couch was less accessible to him. When Harvey wanted to sit with me, he now needed to make it known. I would pick him up and put him back down when he was ready, trying to do so before he could jump down himself. While living in my studio apartment I had to start putting his food out on the carpet so that he would have better traction.
[Watching and waiting.]
Watching television with someone in person is much more enjoyable. The little ways of communicating must be made noticeable. There is a camera, but the sound is muted so that there is not an echo. To show excitement you must exaggerate movement and expressions. To make a comment you must wait for the right moment so that you don’t talk over dialogue. This all requires for you and the person you are Facetiming to hit the play button in sync. One of you will be the designated count-downer. Then one, if not both of you, will have to tell the other person that your video is buffering, which causes you to pause, go back, and sync to a specific time or even restart completely. Don’t worry, you get used to it.
[Longing for a time before, when you could just jump up on the couch when you wanted.]