It all begins with a slide, a finger, and then, thumb and pointing finger together. Sliding outwardly-- sometimes, inwardly. Could it be sensation or is it fascination? I'd like to think it is both. While I thought I was possessive, my smart phone is too. It wants my full attention. Sometimes, it robs from me time I would have used to cross off an item in my daily itinerary. And as soon as I am close to winning it back, it allies with "internet" so I lose time and my tasks increase the day after. If youtube and facebook got a little too boring, the brain-eating zombies start grunting. My smart phone wants solo attention.
I belong to the generation that lived half their life doing most things manually and in the same generation that lives to witness and experience the dawn of smart phones. We used to carry books, now i wear it. Playtime then was physical workout, now, it's all finger tapping (unless you zumba while gaming). I used to have dogs for a pet, now, fishes in the internet. Farms are huge and farming was tough but we have virtual crops growing at present. It's both awesome and sad. I applaud how inventors and business people figured "greed" and "want" (everything and anything for self) as a common denominator that generates response from all men in all walks of life. Both the poor and the rich demand more. There is barely any contentment. We are not happy with the way things are, hence, the concept of continuous improvement. Oddly, I think we may be wired to be exhaustive so we will know the meaning of having none. Experience then, is certainly the best teacher. We unintentionally go through rough times so others can avoid it. Repeat the good ones and stir away from bad examples to be wise. Repetitions of a mistake is stupidity (but aren't we -- a number of times?).
Yolo means "you only live once". That's because there is no repeating time. Even by benefit of a doubt reincarnation is true, the moment you come back to life is still not the same time in the past. Therefore, make it count. Take time to listen to others. Spend quality time with family and friends (as much as possible without the smart phones). The reason we keep running out of creativity in our conversations is because we stopped talking. Our gadgets become our easy escape. But aren't escapes nothing but a temporary detachment from reality? At some point we have got to stop running and start facing people, issues, and confronting life itself. We don't run forever or our tongues hit the ground. But when our time's up, how we spend it is what really matters. Aim for balance.
Back to the gadget. Slide in. Slide out. Tap. Tap. Tap. Nap..zzzZZZ!
