Has Our Technology Exceeded Our
Humanity?
By:
Karen J. Allen
Co-Publisher, On the Gay
Horizon
I never
go to shopping malls anymore but I ventured in a couple
weeks ago. Back when we did go shopping, I remember
leisurely strolls through the corridors, pausing to look in
windows or browse through different stores. Not anymore!
The merchants --- merchandise hawkers --- have moved into
those corridors and assault anyone trying to pass. Naively
trying to be polite, I had the skin on my hands defoliated
by salt from the Dead Sea, lost all sense of smell from
being hosed down by smell-alike perfume knock-offs,
considered an acupressure treatment for my back, dodged
several remote-controlled Blackhawk helicopters and rogue
Santas on miniature ATVs, refused to have my picture
instantly appear on matching lampshades that would be
perfect for everyone on my Christmas list, and then didn't
even blink when I discovered you could get your teeth
whitened right outside the Apple
Store.
This
must be what it's like to be that little metal ball in a
pinball machine. Lights! Sound! Rocketing back and forth,
seemingly out of control. I did not like it but I could
feel the pull, the seduction of being submerged in
never-ending stimuli. You would never have to think. Not
ever be responsible. Not have to make decisions --- just be
swept along.
Albert Einstein
said "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology
has exceeded our humanity".
Einstein died more
than 60 years ago. What do you suppose he would say
today?
Exceeded? Our
technology is creating a disconnect with our humanity. It's
putting us into a state where we require more and more
stimuli, and we rarely allow ourselves a break. How many
people do you know who even sleep with the TV blaring and
the lights on?
Recently, I was
fortunate enough to visit New York City. I love being there
and I had a great time. But I had one of those "moments"
walking through Times Square. I found myself surrounded by
all of these gigantic video screens, bombarded by noise
from cars and people and blaring speakers, jostled by
thousands of people on the sidewalks. At one point, I
remember looking up and thinking that if there were only
flying vehicles above it could be the set of that awful,
awful Harrison Ford movie from the early 80's,
Blade Runner.
One of the things I disliked most about that movie was its
depiction of the future --- and here I was, standing right
in the middle of it!
Is
this how we want to spend the next half of our lives? I
like my computer and my cell phone and all the new gadgets
that come out just as much as the next person but I'm not
willing to lose myself in them. There has to be a way to
find a balance.
Anyone who knows
me, personally, knows that I'd be in trouble if they closed
the drive through window at Chick-fil-a. I don't care what
anyone says, cooking for one is no fun and if you're going
to eat fast food then theirs is the best. So, sometimes it
annoys me that they are closed on Sundays. But, while I may
not agree with founder and CEO S. Truett Cathy's reasoning
that God operates on a seven-day calendar week and after
spending the first six days creating everything, declared
the seventh to be a day of rest, I kind of like the
concept. I think we all could use a day where we shift our
focus.
Yes!
Magazine recently explored the concept of a "Secular
Sabbath" which they define as a digital day of rest. The
following is from How to
Have a Secular Sabbath on their
website:
If
you're interested in implementing your own Secular
Sabbath, here are some guidelines:
-
Choose your
time.
A secular sabbath is a digital day of rest. It can
be any day of the week, just whatever works for
you. It can be more than 24 hours-you might end up
extending it to an entire weekend
sometimes.
-
You make
your own rules.
That means you decide what you'll give up. Some
people forsake all technology, including phone and
TV. Others use it at as "computer turn off" day.
It's up to you what you give up, but if you find
yourself dreading doing without a particular thing
for 24 hours, that's probably a good sign that you
need a rest from it.
-
Get to know
yourself
again.
Remind yourself of the non-tech things you like to
do, and do those things. That may sound strange,
but for those of us who live by technology, we
sometimes forget the simpler pleasures in
life-going fishing, knitting, gardening, going to
the dog park, having lunch with a friend. Before
your secular sabbath write down some things you
want to do on that day so that when the withdrawal
symptoms hit, you'll have a backup
plan.
-
Expect
withdrawal pains.
One way to look at it is if you're experiencing an
intense longing for your email or IM or whatever,
you're doing the right thing by taking a day away.
The symptoms will fade each week that you do this,
and you may actually find yourself looking forward
to your day of rest.
-
Focus on
the benefits.
A sense of inner calm. Being able to hear yourself
think. Reconnecting with family, friends and
nature. Rebooting a favorite hobby. All of these
are benefits that go along with creating balance in
your life.
We
all wish for a more peaceful world for ourselves and our
loved ones. Maybe the key is to start a little closer to
home and bring peace into our own lives. At least one day a
week...
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-
Okay, be
honest. Did you think about giving that secular sabbath
thing a try? And, if you did, was there something that
instantly sprang to mind --- something you don't believe
you could put down and turn off for an entire day? Tell us
about it at admin@onthegayhorizon.com
.
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"A journey
of a thousand miles begins with a single
step"
Confucius
By:
Ann-Marie
Giglio
Co-Publisher,
On
the Gay Horizon
It's that time of
year again. Time to get real with yourself.
Make a list. Winnow it down to your top 5
resolutions.
Is getting healthy
and fit one of them?
If so, put this
OTGH (hey, Karen, we should name the newsletter!) on your
list. Each week of 2009, we will present you with one
small thing you can do that week to bring you closer to
your goal of good health and
well-being.
And
if you take us up on it, by this time next year, you will
have made nearly 52 changes to your life, and hopefully to
the way you feel about your life. And you will have
absorbed the changes the easiest way possible ---
gradually.
We'll present you
with ideas about modifying your eating habits and your
movement habits to help you align your actions with your
goal.
We call it Gradual
Fitness/Fitness This Year/Healthy Habits/BodyMind
Unplugged.....something. We'll come up with
something.
Whaddaya
think?
[Editor's Note: Ann-Marie Giglio, besides being a
professional writer and the co-publisher of On
the Gay Horizon, is the owner of a
fitness studio focused on improving quality of life through
the mind/body connection. She is a certified
ChiRunning and ChiWalking instructor, AFAA
certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness
instructor and SCW certified Pilates reformer instructor.
She is currently working on a new book for GLBT baby
boomers --- Lighten Up! How to Exercise Safely and
Effectively After 50]
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Name the
newsletter? What do you suppose she means? Like George? No,
I think that's already been done. Names are important. I
always wanted to name a cat "Percy". That was my
grandfather's name --- Percy Foster Allen. Some great names
in my family. There were these three aunts --- Belle, Maude
and Hattie. My brother always said it sounded like a team
of mules.
But I digress. Perhaps this newsletter
should have its own name.
Suggestions?
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-
Now here's
something you may have never asked yourself?
Are you a sexual
jihadist?
