The Verizon Guy couldn’t believe I wouldn’t take the free i phone when I had to stop by to activate an old phone for my daughter. My decision seemed insane to his world view. I wonder if I will continue to have a choice to stay unplugged from the WWW in my walking life. I want to turn off and drop out.
Do you have people in your life who are present, but not there at all, except for brief moments?
Hanging out with humans has taken on a new layer of disconnect from over-connection; even though, I am much removed from the new normal level of connectedness most are experiencing. I’m practically choosing to be the last year’s model of human. The constant reporting and updating from life, texting, looking things up, checking email, posting, etc. causes people to never be where they are for real, often missing much they will never know they missed.
Is the polarity gap showing up in the technology? I do have friends who have iphones and pads who keep them out of sight except for a moment here and there when the connection is helpful or illuminating in the moment.
Also, some, while they are physically present, can be seen to be creating a Facebook slice of life for the life they are experiencing in the moment; the picture of the meal, the friends in an instant group picture, the look at me here now, while not being here now at all.
Constantly creating an image takes one out of just being, just living in the moment. I have found myself taking mental pictures with blogging in mind and pulled back to remember, I am in this moment, my eyes are just seeing, my being is connected with all right now in a truer way than any writing or recaptured moment through story-telling can convey.
I heard this Red Ice Creations podcast years ago with Henrik Palmgren and Neil Kramer:
and instantly related the topic to so many I interact with, care about, share history with.
Often I feel like I am standing on one side of a strange land, looking over a crevasse to the other side of people existing in a different way. The large screen tv’s seemed to bring in a ramped up level of fear and identification with the body to hypnotize the human animal to such a degree we started to look and behave like different creatures altogether. We joke about sheeples and zombies, but there is some truth behind the humor.
Sometimes in stores or daily public interactions, I have sudden eye contact with another being, which is unrelated to appearances or exterior identity, in which we acknowledge WE ARE HERE. WE ARE PRESENT AND ALIVE TOGETHER, unrestricted and present together. And then I look back to the sea of people who are listening to an inner voice of their small identity. I can recognize and relate to that – it isn’t gone from me, either, but I know I can pull my head up above this sea of confusion and take whole gulping breaths of the fresh air of a clear mind. Once that air is truly tasted, how can I ever go back to the sea of confusion for good.
Beyond just the distraction found with many who are walking around mostly unconsciously, riding the wave of the benefits of the interconnected public life of projected imaging outward onto platforms for solidifying identity, there is also environmental and health related issues to consider.
There are only two outlets where the wireless can plug in for our new house. The one most hidden and practical happened to be behind my bed. I have not slept well since the move. Today, I wake again, much earlier than needed, and find myself figuring out how to move the wireless device. I would remove it all together, but I am teaching online. How do we dance this dance with change occurring so quickly? Our bodies are being used as Guinea pigs for absorbing the brunt of waves we barely understand.
This film, which I think does not wish to be embedded, raises important questions about the effects of such technology. If they disable, the film is Resonance, and can be found on Youtube.
Life as Improv 
And yet……as Ramana Maharshi said, “all Is in the perfection of things” – shanti….
Oh yes! Always returning to that acceptance though I/i do thrash around a bit 🙂 Thank you for that, Kai!
Yeah, we all thrash around (thrash, crash, thrash)……just have to laugh at the ever-present Mirror! xxoo….
Oh, so many phrases in here that I want to savor all day! I love “Hanging out with humans has taken on a new layer of disconnect from over-connection,” “I’m practically choosing to be the last year’s model of human,” and “the look at me here now, while not being here now at all.” Ok, I could cut and paste all of it. Great writing!
And yet, I agree with the other comment, that there is perfection in all things. It reminds me of Bryce Canyon in Utah, which is gorgeous yet always changing from the weather. I want to stop the change and keep today’s version of gorgeous, yet there will be another version tomorrow.
Loving the paradox! Thank you for your thoughtful words, Kelly!
There are levels of reality/consciousness where everything is perfect and completely OK. This particular world of form is not one of them. Seems to me a lot of spiritual approaches make what’s called a “category mistake”, and in doing so, we are encouraged to bypass a lot of difficulty. Because everything is ultimately perfect, right?
I think grappling with the density of form, and the excrutiating contrast with our divine nature, is the reason why we’re here. The dance of dukkha. In this blog you are expressing a longing for deep connection, for contact with the real, for authenticity, for belonging, for wholeness. Unity. I think this is beautiful. And I bow to it. This longing is sacred. It is love… That limitless divine impulse seeking to make the fragments whole… 🙂
Souldoula,
Your comments have lingered with me today. I’m not sure I can articulate the response I want to write well enough – but I so appreciate your deep and insightful comments. I brush up against the paradox represented with my post, the other responses, and your response here continually – the perfect imperfection – and what that means, actually. I can hold the paradox within in a continual state of cognitive dissonance it would seem 🙂 The dance of dukkha . I find for me the key is with the charge inside of me. Perhaps my tone reflected more disturbance than I actually feel. While engaged with making the fragments whole, I do not indulge in anger toward what is – nor do I deny or run away. The disconnection of others is okay with me – while I choose something different. The journey for me is a moment to moment engagement in this world, whether I am sitting in perfection or moving in the world. The fragments made whole reminds me of Tikkun Olam from the Kabbalistic creation story – your words on the human role ring true to me. Not sure if these words say what I mean, but I gave it a try 🙂 Deep bow to you, Ruth!
Beautifully stated. If strong emotions come, they come. But often for me also there is mostly something like a wistful acceptance. And always the yearning and its sweetness. What a privilege to be in this moment to moment dance. Thank you for sharing this in your blog. I find it helpful to share these things with others, even if they are difficult to express (maybe because they are difficult to express 🙂 ). With gratitude, Ruth.
you raise a lot of interesting questions and as fellow bloggers – a dilemma – we want to connect. This is how we can and yet?
For me at least I manage technology so that it does not impact by BEing and I use it to my advantage. I am able to switch off when I need to and maybe that is a key…making to choice to switch off from the world and switch on with greater connectedness with our selves. andrea
The choice to switch on or off does seem key, Andrea. the connecting through the blogging platform for me has taken on a more soulful flow – with a deeper current I enjoy and learn from…I connect with your wording here – “manage technology…not impact my BEing…use it to my advantage.” These neutral tools can bring hearts, voices and ears together in the shared journey – BEings who otherwise seem physically miles apart. So Nice to see and hear you 🙂 this morning.
how wonderful to hold out for the human experience. to live and not be a corporate fed tool, turning in the gears, answering when called. I just got a cell phone a few years ago and still don’t have the habit of keeping it on much. hurray for the off-line people.
Your words are so full of joy 🙂 So glad to be sharing the human experience – from outside the fed tools and turning gears – with friends such as you – when I remember! Hurray, grin, grin!
The further out you go the longer you stay and the longer you stay the less reasons you find to return…but be careful you could wind up like me (:
Would not surprise me to find myself in circumstances farther out! Watch on the dashboard – right? 🙂