My apologies to anyone who anxiously follows this blog. Recovering from a homecoming week and reuniting with the normal deluge of home work has no room for blogs. Except tonight.
A common theme I have seen in my life, and possibly the culture at large, is a replacement of reality. Taking what is real, genuine, or authentic and putting a legitimate fake in its place. An example could be an infomercial I saw today for a "Turbo" something or other. Mr. T was the guest manipulator so I was enthralled. It replaced grilling. No more must I slave over a fire or charcoal and cook hamburgers or hot dogs. No, all I had to do was place the uncooked meat in the Turbo...and be amazed. Get this, I could even take it outside and pretend like I am grilling.
Where is the fun in that? Think about it. If everyone got one of the contraptions, grilling would be vanquished. The sweat and tears over under cooked or charred meat would be no more. We would be released! The real grilling would be replaced by fake grilling.
Let me put in a more personal example. Conversing over the internet. Many-a-teenager has had a three hour conversation with one or more people in their life time. Maybe even adults if the "real-time conversing" was apart of their generation. It is so much easier to say "Oh, look person A is online, I will talk to them...because they are online." Then three hours later, and 567 mindless questions including "What's you favorite color bird?" and "How many steps are on your house's stair case?" later you say goodnight...or morning. That is a real conversation.
To quote one of my favorite television characters: "false".
Real has nothing between its components. Take away the computer screen or phone screen and replace it with the face of person then talk. I am guilty of the crime of replacing real conversation and connection with the fake. Seeing the person face-to-face was awkward, and I had nothing to say. Why? Because we never really connected. We spoke, not talked.
We are missing it if our best friends live inside a computer. I love talking to a person face-to-face now. I encourage you to do the same if you're guilty of what I have been set free from. You will find life in your conversations, and you will move forward. Gain a real friend and stretch your limits.
Let us replace was fake with what is real, and never stop the progression of real community.
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8 comments:
Dude, This totally relates to a research paper i just wrote about the effects of technology has on our generation for my writing class! Losing personal connection was a main point of mine. Funny seeing this topic come up in your blog.
Hope you're doing well Layne!
-Mere
:)
It's good Layne, good stuff. I wholeheartedly agree with this conclusion. haha
I really like how you put it though. It's very well written and it's meaningful. You sure do have a way with words. :)
uggghhh, it left out part of what I said.. "It's very well written and it's person making it all the more meaningful."
There. I'm done.
gaaaaaa... "personal" not person.
seriously, what will it get wrong this time?
I love your closing line. Amen.
Words can be written, words could be spoken, words can be thought. Nothing replaces the words felt deeply, written carefully and spoken graciously.
Right on!
Just caught up on your blog, Layne. I love this post. I've been saying the same thing for years. I used to talk to this guy on instant messenger back in the day that I was just so in "love" with. Then I'd see him in person and I would have nothing to say because I was so nervous. And then it was like we had never even really talked to eachother in the first place because we couldn't have a real conversation.
Not something I'm too proud of :)
I'm all the wiser for it though.
You are a good writer, sir.
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