Just Sayin': Large Zoom meetings create anxiety for me

Large Zoom meetings create anxiety for me

Is Zoom anxiety real or unreal? For me, Zoom anxiety is real. I am an introvert. My close social network is small. Therefore, large group Zoom meetings are not for me. They can be exhausting. The constant back-and-forth of opinions, the thought of losing your job if you don’t take part in the conversation, dealing with intense, close-up, real-time eye contact, and colleagues assuming the role of unlicensed social workers can be exhausting for one’s mental wellness. I have resilience. I can rebound from difficult situations. But the Zoom meetings are a steady drum. You have the in-groups and the out-groups.

Also, is there room for freethinkers in Zoom meetings, or should we all think alike? Benjamin Franklin said, "If we all think alike, no one is thinking." So what do we say about freethinkers? According to Merriam-Webster, a freethinker is "one who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority."

In sum, anxiety is real for me, but I am resilient and will rebound.

Eileen Nixon, Uniondale

With poor lane markers, we need better lighting

I, too, recently traveled on the Long Island Expressway ["Can LI roads be like those in other states?" Just Sayin', Feb. 5]. My ride was westbound at 5 a.m. during a heavy rainfall. The only thing that kept me from drifting into the next lane was the potholes. As soon as I started feeling them I knew I was moving over. That was because most lane dividing lines are hardly visible, either because they are nonexistent or faded. Also, there is sporadic or no lighting on the LIE east of exit 52. The poles are there, but I almost never see the lights on. What’s up with that? Since motorists don’t have good lane markings, at least give us lighting.

Dorothy Horsham, Ridge

Why is New York State unable to properly pave roads? A three-lane highway is paved with two seams, where the white lines are. In just a few years, road disintegration begins right on those poorly formed seams, and then spreads to the whole lane. Don't blame overuse. The cars don't drive on the seams. And don't blame overloaded trucks — it's the same on the parkways. And don't blame the weather — drive to New Jersey or Connecticut, where the roads are much better. We pay a lot of money for poor work that gets redone every few years. It's a joke.

Michael Hooker, Sayville

The Long Expressway on the eastern end is crumbling at an unprecedented rate. I just saw two of my fellow commuters get a blowout from landing in massive potholes. Before a tragedy happens, please, local officials, fix the road.

Mary P. Pearce, Remsenburg