Connected-disconnected

This week has brought a whirlwind of thoughts. I can't decide if as a society we are more connected than we once were or more disconnected. I even struggle to know if our wisdom and knowledge of life is moving forwards or backwards. No question with this plethora of information hitting us from every possible angle we are deluged to the point of mass confusion about almost everything. We can find a way to believe just about anything. There is not truth anymore. You can believe that!

Call me old (middle aged) but I am a believer in human interaction. I think we have to do things today that we will be thankful for later.

As my thoughts twisted and turned through the peaks and valleys of wise insanity I wondered how we got to where we are and if we are really anywhere. Life is like superman, faster than a speeding bullet. I suppose you could call it Darwinism or the survival of the fittest. But in this connected disconnected world in which we find ourselves it seems as though we are pushed to be something or someone we are not. Who wins, who survives, or who thrives in some weird way has become associated with who can beat or cheat who. The integrity of living in a close socially connected way has given us the opportunity to be less than true to who we are. 

Consider the times when neighbors helped each other do almost everything, what happened to that. Now it is seldom that neighbors even visit each other. We are taught to mind our own business which further drives a wedge in this non-communal world in which we live. This lack of human relationships causes emotions to be heightened beyond what our capacity to cope truly is. For those that face depression or anxiety you know what I mean. Sometimes all you need is a friend to turn to but those friends are too busy being technologically connected to the point they are socially disconnected. 

Is this an over-exaggeration? You be the judge. Look around at your own life while I dissect mine. What do you get passionately emotional about these days? It is probably not something to do with people because we have labeled them as bad or at a minimum obstacles. Our passions are geared more toward non human because we do not want nor have the desire conscientiously to help those we feel do not need help to start with. In our judgmental minds we have determined who needs help and who doesn't when in fact we truly do not know because we are to busy to find out. 

Then it boils down to this, the personal side effects of a living a life alone. Oh yes we are surrounded by people but at the end of the day most people feel alone. Granted there is a small percentage of people that face serious health issues that realize that nothing is worth more than our warm loving relationships developed by people that have a genuine interest in others. 

Where do you fit in? Maybe you chose to reach out on social media and shout expletives and condemnation behind the safety of a computer screen. Maybe you use that same outlet to beg for attention because your day is consumed by texting instead of socially interacting. Regardless where you find yourself in this less than social environment we live in I do know that we all innately strive for human love. The question becomes how do you embrace the technology age and still find a way to be part of a caring social network. 

How do we prove to ourselves that we are happy? I think that it has to be within the frame work of a social circle. People are happy when they are with other happy people. 

If we would like to take this to a faith based spiritual level, look around, what do you see. Can your eyes be honestly opened to the beauty of the world around you? What is your vision or image of God? If you are a Bible reader do you recall that Jesus sent people at in groups. He knew and preached community. You cannot grow in your faith or spirituality by growing alone. Your fig tree will not produce fruit if no one is around to nurture it. So, I challenge you to be the nurturer of your own life. For your flower to produce the beauty it has to be exposed to sunshine. That sunshine comes from a source other than yourself. In an effort to find the sun you may first have to be the sun. If you want your flower to bloom make sure you are not casting a shadow on the buds of others. 

Be the spark someone needs to heal. I will step out and say that when you help others you will absolutely help yourself. The technology we face is not a bad thing it is simply an advancement that we must embrace. What we can't do with all this new stuff is lose who we are. We need the warmth of humanity to feel our self worth. If you feel lost and disconnected remember all it takes is a simple smile or hello to get the social ball rolling. Stop the insanity and separation and let's all join together in reconnecting to our human nature. Peace, love, and hope starts with you.

peace to you

Dale