I mean, everyone has blogs, which I love, because I as I write I keep the things that I love close to me..my friends..my crafting..the books I read and most importantly, the memories, new and old.
I can re-visit and re-read them anytime. Many times. It is saved - it is my history, in written form, and commented on by people I trust, enjoy and make me laugh...you know...friends.
But, there are so many new ways of communicating now - Facebook, MySpace,Twitter, email, cell phones, Instant Messenger (IM's) .
And all I can think about is if I had time to actually monitor all of these things, when would I have time to...think. Create. Play. Love. See. Hear...feel...
Everything in an instant. And for an instant-gratification girl like myself, that's great..to a point.
Digital photos, for example. Great. Love it. That's a good one - at least for me.
But sometimes the instantaneous-ness of IM's, the hastily composed emails..the looking-into- your-diary-feeling of Facebook...well..it sort of give me a headache.
***This just in! When I got to work today I found this on a genealogy newsletter and thought I'd insert it here - it's mind-boggling:
"This isn’t about genetic genealogy or even genealogy, but it’s too interesting to pass up.
A recent Fortune article titled “How Facebook is taking over our lives” points out that roughly 175 million people are members of Facebook, and that the total daily use of Facebook is over 3 billion minutes.
Here are some rough calculations using that 3 billion minutes per day value (and feel free to check my math, please!): three billion minutes equals 50 million hours, which equals 2.08 million days, which equals 5,707 years.
Thus, every single day humanity spends the equivalent of over 5,000 years on Facebook!"
And Twitter is just snippets of conversations- carefully monitored number of characters that can be typed in..
I don't know..maybe it's my years of experience of being 50 (9 years of experience..) that makes me wonder about all of this time spent..well..disconnected while trying desperately to be ..connected..
I want to use the time I have left on this earth actually connecting, living, experiencing and feeling all that I can. Face to face when I can.
I want to have quiet time. Mind-resting time. Resting my eyes time. Reading an actual book time.
And not an e-book, although that's great if you like that- but I want to feel the pages in my hands. Hear the turning of the page. Smell the newness of the book...
I'm rambling. I'll stop now. I want to leave you with a quote from an actress that I've always thought of as full of grace, beauty, peace and humility..Helen Hayes...
"We live in a very tense society. We are pulled apart...and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together...I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude."
~ Helen Hayes
~ Helen Hayes
Isn't she beautiful?
And look at this young photo of her..I don't think I've ever seen this before...she has the same smile..
Please have a restful, thoughtful and beautiful tomorrow, OK?
-me
7 comments:
I LOVE this post. So true. All of it. Though I really enjoy blogging and wish I'd had it when I was a young mother, I do not enjoy the speed of instant communication. I tried Facebook and I just didn't 'get' it. All those little one-liners of conversation. Why!? And I always thought Helen Hayes was so gorgeous...right up to her death. How blessed she was.
I have not made many attempts at checking out facebook or myspace or twitter or whatever else is out there. I figure this blog space is enough for me along with emails to and from other family and friends. And I agree with you about the books. Have to have the actual book in my hands. I take a book with me everyday to work and read while I eat my lunch. That is when I manage to get most of my reading done.
I like you your 9 years of experience of being 50. I guess that means I have 2 years of experience of being 50. Cute.
You have a beautiful day as well tomorrow.
I agree with Lucy and Nearbear. There is more to life than IT. Reading books, going to the movies, bushwalking , beachcombing, dining with friends exploring new places but on the other hand it is important to keep up with basic technology. AND blogging is fun as long as you don't become a slave to it. I like meeting new people and learning about their lives.
Colleen, you dear heart, this is such a wise post. It really strikes a chord with me. After only about two months of blogging, I find myself alternating between loving it in a big way and wanting to delete my blog and flickr account and run in the other direction!!
It's just that blog land, like the internet itself is so seductive. You keep discovering more dear people, but how many can you follow? More great craft tutorials, but how many can you try, especially if blogging takes too much time! It's kind of like the curse of plenty - too much noise in my head!!
Yet reading your post also demonstrates the joy of blogging - knowing others who feel as we do - finding kindred spirits!!
We do have to number our days and establish a balance in our lives. I refuse to let screen/technology time and a virtual life crowd out real life! Can't wait for warmer weather so I can spend more time out in the Lord's light and enjoy stillness.
As for twitter and text messaging, all these little snippets - I wonder if people will lose the ability to write in a thoughtful, meaningful way? And what's with this constant need to be in touch with everyone, all the time? I have a cell phone in my purse for emergencies, but I carry it OFF. Most of the time I like being out of touch!!
Yikes - sorry to ramble on so! This old fogey is signing off now!
PS - love Helen Hayes, there was one classy lady!
I enjoy blogland; I can visit when I want for however long I want. Then, I can go away.
I have a Twitter account; but, I don't stay logged in, so I miss new comments. And, I agree, one-liners aren't much of a conversation. So far, I've commented twice, I think; and, I didn't go back to see if there was an answer. I don't think I'll keep 'twittering'!
Good post! Now, take some time for yourself away from the computer...haha.
I'm soooo there with ya, as my daughter was just this morning explaining Facebook to me...whatever, do I really want to run into all the old boyfriends and people from my past...I ain't got that much time.
I'm a hermit and love it, I like being alone, but I do miss the days when I could respond to each of my bloggy friend, now, it's hit and miss and off to work...and forget spending evening hours on the net...it hurts hitting the keyboard face first...right.
But I'm thankful to the few that I have really bonded with and I'm not looking for a man in my life, so my lil' blog is enough...for now!
Good post...is it our age maybe...?
Hugs,
s&s
I enjoyed that! Oh I have never seen a young photo...shes darling! I love blogging...when you live in a town with very few friends...it is so wonderful to connect with friends with same likes. Have a wonderful evening. Laurie
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