Jam It
I saw a commercial on television yesterday for a mobile broadband service. The premise was that people are on board an airplane, getting ready to take off, and all are in a hurry to send the last possible e-mail or surf the last possible webpage before take off. The tag line suggested that with their brand of broadband connection, they could jam every possible e-mail and task into the last available second possible.
Why?
Where is it written that we are now obligated and required to spend every possible waking second doing something productive? What ever happened to relaxing? Doing nothing? Enjoying your surroundings, the world, or God forbid, each other?
The most ridiculous indicator of "progress" is the installation of WiFi throughout Central Park. So, you can now take your laptop to Central Park, ignore the trees, the softball games, the bikers, the kids, the cute guys/girls (depending on your preference), and instead stay glued to your 14 inch screen, Googling your heart out.
Why bother going to the Park? Just stay home, where you'll get four bars of signal, or even at Starbucks, sipping on an overpriced latte while you run your finger lovingly over your touchpad. Or even McDonald's where your McNuggets can cozy up to your Mac.
Again, at what point did we decide that no moment can pass without doing something? To be honest, the non-stop non-stopism is making me crazy. I sometimes think the best time of the day is the 30 seconds in the elevator going from the lobby of my building to my floor. Unless, of course, a lovely neighbor is on board with me using the time to text away or peck at their Blackberry because, God knows, they won't be home for another 60 seconds and whatever has their attention can't possibly wait. Tomorrow they'll be doing the same thing on the way down, because something dramatic must have happened in the world in the two minutes since they walked out the door of their apartment.
I have no explanation for any of it other than the constant availability to communicate in all ways except real conversation... or the sheer fear of being alone with one's thoughts.
I have a home phone, a cell phone, a fax machine, two work cell phones, a wireless work PDA and a desktop and laptop computers. And I can't wait to turn them all off.
The silence is overwhelmingly therapeutic. And trust me... I need all the therapy I can get.
Why?
Where is it written that we are now obligated and required to spend every possible waking second doing something productive? What ever happened to relaxing? Doing nothing? Enjoying your surroundings, the world, or God forbid, each other?
The most ridiculous indicator of "progress" is the installation of WiFi throughout Central Park. So, you can now take your laptop to Central Park, ignore the trees, the softball games, the bikers, the kids, the cute guys/girls (depending on your preference), and instead stay glued to your 14 inch screen, Googling your heart out.
Why bother going to the Park? Just stay home, where you'll get four bars of signal, or even at Starbucks, sipping on an overpriced latte while you run your finger lovingly over your touchpad. Or even McDonald's where your McNuggets can cozy up to your Mac.
Again, at what point did we decide that no moment can pass without doing something? To be honest, the non-stop non-stopism is making me crazy. I sometimes think the best time of the day is the 30 seconds in the elevator going from the lobby of my building to my floor. Unless, of course, a lovely neighbor is on board with me using the time to text away or peck at their Blackberry because, God knows, they won't be home for another 60 seconds and whatever has their attention can't possibly wait. Tomorrow they'll be doing the same thing on the way down, because something dramatic must have happened in the world in the two minutes since they walked out the door of their apartment.
I have no explanation for any of it other than the constant availability to communicate in all ways except real conversation... or the sheer fear of being alone with one's thoughts.
I have a home phone, a cell phone, a fax machine, two work cell phones, a wireless work PDA and a desktop and laptop computers. And I can't wait to turn them all off.
The silence is overwhelmingly therapeutic. And trust me... I need all the therapy I can get.
posted by Bill at
9:08 PM
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