Eugene Peterson, in his introduction to the book of Joel, writes how a dramatic event doesn’t necessarily introduce anything new into our lives but
“simply exposes [a] moral or spiritual reality that already exists but was hidden beneath an overlay of routine, self-preoccupation, and business as usual.”
Not withstanding a lack of batteries, as a family, we could not begin to get all our chargers together and cell phones, ipods, laptop, etc. fully-charged fast enough for the arrival of Hurricane Ike. How many different chargers can one family have? It’s slightly embarrassing.
In the wake of Hurricane Ike I hear lots of adults speaking about how the hurricane brought together their community and neighbors. One individual interviewed on TV stated, “Hurricane Ike was strong, but our community is stronger.” Good words.
I spend time with youth of various ages and when they speak up about something, I try to glean some of that “youthful perspective.” Similar views about Hurricane Ike are expressed by the youth I have talked to, but it has a different ring to my ears. It sounds more like, “I was really surprised how good it felt to walk outside my door and see people doing things for others and neighbors we never even talked to all the sudden had time to visit and help each other.”
Consider for a moment the drastic differences in the ways the youth of today communicate and relate to each other compared to a mere 20 years ago. We related to each other because there wasn't much else to do, they have 50 friends at their fingertips but in a less personal way. Yeah…WAY different from when we were in high school.
I was born on the brink of a generation that socialized by way of clothesline talks and front porch chats, a time when neighbors had not much else to do recreation-wise than to visit. TVs were not yet in every household (at least, definitely not in multiples). Idealistically, it seems somewhat of a golden-era, when I think back on it. Our youngest generation has experienced very little of that because most of what they enjoy doing requires them to be plugged in. And herein lays the dilemma, if you’re plugged in, you really don’t need to go out
“simply exposes [a] moral or spiritual reality that already exists but was hidden beneath an overlay of routine, self-preoccupation, and business as usual.”
Not withstanding a lack of batteries, as a family, we could not begin to get all our chargers together and cell phones, ipods, laptop, etc. fully-charged fast enough for the arrival of Hurricane Ike. How many different chargers can one family have? It’s slightly embarrassing.
In the wake of Hurricane Ike I hear lots of adults speaking about how the hurricane brought together their community and neighbors. One individual interviewed on TV stated, “Hurricane Ike was strong, but our community is stronger.” Good words.
I spend time with youth of various ages and when they speak up about something, I try to glean some of that “youthful perspective.” Similar views about Hurricane Ike are expressed by the youth I have talked to, but it has a different ring to my ears. It sounds more like, “I was really surprised how good it felt to walk outside my door and see people doing things for others and neighbors we never even talked to all the sudden had time to visit and help each other.”
Consider for a moment the drastic differences in the ways the youth of today communicate and relate to each other compared to a mere 20 years ago. We related to each other because there wasn't much else to do, they have 50 friends at their fingertips but in a less personal way. Yeah…WAY different from when we were in high school.
I was born on the brink of a generation that socialized by way of clothesline talks and front porch chats, a time when neighbors had not much else to do recreation-wise than to visit. TVs were not yet in every household (at least, definitely not in multiples). Idealistically, it seems somewhat of a golden-era, when I think back on it. Our youngest generation has experienced very little of that because most of what they enjoy doing requires them to be plugged in. And herein lays the dilemma, if you’re plugged in, you really don’t need to go out
Maybe I enjoy my technology too much. (guilty, guilty, guilty!) Maybe I allow my children to enjoy their technology too much. We sure don't stray far from these tethers of a plugged-in variety, but I do wonder what it all means for our kids…and their kids, and so on.
It’s all about balance and being aware, I suppose. I know I need to do better at both. My mother was a master with that TV off button and I think she may have even yanked the plug for dramatic effect a time or two.
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A side note:
It never ceases to amaze me how I decide to write about something for my blog and then things/inspiration will happen that tie directly into it. Mother, having no idea what I was writing about this week, informed me today that she thought she would “just unplug that machine of hers” (her computer) “so it will stop sending all those annoying advertising emails” (Spam). You should’ve seen the disappointed look on her face when I told her that’s not the way it works. “The spam will still be there when you plug it back in, Mother.”
She really is priceless.
3 comments:
This is a really good post! I was also thinking today how I would be so proud of myself if I could survive without the computer (emailing, facebook) for just ONE day, let alone a week.
Then I thought of Paul where he told timid Timothy to 'exercise his muscles' concerning physical fitness, spirtual awareness, etc. The same applies to 'fasting from technology'...
Maybe I will exercise my muscle next week and fast from computers altogether...
Great post, got me thinking! Thanks.
Thanks so much, Vicki. I love your idea of "technology fasting." I think you should write an article on it because it would mean a lot more coming from someone your age to the younger people who would read it.
great idea... write an article about it... great idea... you got me thinking!
although I would first need to actually put that thought into practice. that way, I'll have the experience to write about it!
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