Hello all!
It's been quite a while since I have been on this blog; after looking back over some of the things I said in my earlier posts, one thing has become particularly clear to me:
every time I think I say something smart/poignant/striking - I usually end up laughing at it later.
I suppose this means that I'm either a comedian who just is completely unaware of their talent, or I'm just kind of oblivious to things like that. I'll go with the latter. Anyway, onto the topic at hand!
The other day, I went over to visit my friend, and a couple of her relatives, who were both elementary school-aged, were there as well.
I expected a super loud commotion resulting from them playing, fighting, or just being kids, but there was none to be heard. Instead, I saw both of them on iPads, playing games in relative silence.
Now this might be a boon to someone who is babysitting these kids (how many times have you ever just wanted them to be quiet?), but to me, it was a pretty crazy thing to witness. Not to say that I have never been guilty of browsing my phone during times where I probably should have paid attention, but I think that it's sad that in a world that is continually becoming more and more interconnected, people have become disconnected with each other.
Think about it! Twelve years ago, whenever I was those kids' age, we did not have as an intense overload from social media and smartphones that they face today. We still had TV and other things like that, but I still remember spending a lot of time playing with legos or acting out a make-believe scenario with my friends. Even at that point, our generation was viewed the same way I'm viewing these kids now.
And kids are not the only ones that are influenced today! Every age group under the sun cannot get away from the constant bombardment of news, social media, and entertainment that our culture has become so saturated in.
I'll stop my rant now, because it's quickly turning repetitive. However, I turn to another point of importance, that point being to disconnect from all the hustle and bustle of today's world, and to re-connect to the immediate world around you.
That immediate world could be whatever or whoever is important to you. Whether its calling relatives, having a good, meaningful conversation, or even going on a walk - at the end of the day, it's whatever helps you be more grounded, whatever gives you that visceral feeling of being alive! I feel like I'm happier when I do this every once in a while, so it can't hurt to give it a shot!
Anyway, that's about all I have to say today! So, until next blog post, I bid you all farewell.
And happy New Year!
Make it count.
