When I first opened this diary I was more than a little overwhelmed by the speed that technology was racing around in every area of our lives. I had mixed feelings about all kinds of things. And used to call myself a Luddite.
But somewhere along the way, the miraculous nature of technology won me over. Though to be fair, a lot of my fears did materialize. But not so much in individuals. They manifested in giant companies manipulating our information to make money off of us. It really is 'funny money' too, as they are selling clicks, likes, and browsing habits which have no intrinsic value. They are not hard commodities. They are virtual commodities.
And while I keep a very jaundiced eye on their shenanigans, I also marvel every day at the other side of the coin, which is the almost organic network of more intimate information. The personal connection network. I feel like we have these whirring, whizzing circles of 'hive minds' that span from our really close knit friends [even if they live half a world away] to the looser network of on line acquaintances that overlap in larger, slower revolving circles around us.
For instance. Just this morning, I communicated with nine important people in my life. All before breakfast. :-) This doesn't mean I was hunched over my computer, or bumping into walls with my nose in my phone either. I was going about the business of my morning, pausing to touch base with them. And the 'them'? That circle encompassed a thousand mile radius. All from Heartwood Cottage on a foggy December morning in the ding dang armpit of the boonies!
I don't want to go on and on about it today. I was just making note of it. You know... how things have changed. And while we may be going faster, in some ways [you have to think carefully about it] we are also going deeper. Just like when you lay down memories in your brain. The paths that get traveled a lot, have stronger memory 'hooks'. The trick my dear friends, is the internet is a big scary place. We need to be careful which grooves we get into. But on the other hand, it can be a highway of great learning and sharing of wisdom. We get to choose what we spend our energies on. I for one want the use 'The Force' for good. :-)
(This is incorrect syntax. "Use the Force for good you should." I asked Yoda and so he told me.)
Very good. You can't go wrong if you listen to Yoda. :-)
