Perhaps it is my age, or perhaps it is the affliction my daughter refers to as "grumpy old man syndrome" but I seem to be noticing more and more how wired and plugged in everyone feels they have to be. Everywhere I go, I notice a world where people walk or exercise with an iPod plugged into their ears, blue tooth devices allow us to drive and talk, car radios now look more like entertainment centers, and our cell phones can provide us with up to the minute tweets of someone's latest blog entry, a change in the weather forecast, or the fact that our favorite sports team has just scored.
It seems that technology has allowed us to have what we want, when we want it just because we want it. I find myself wondering if this is a good thing. Most parents know that having what you want when you want it just because you want it is not the best way to raise children...is it different for adults? After all, where is the harm in listening to music while exercising? Isn't the ability to multi-task an asset required by most jobs these days? Why shouldn't we have the information we want at our fingertips? Those who are continually and endlessly wired in, when asked about that dimension of their lifestyle, typically ask "What's the problem?" I would answer the question with a question: When are you still?
The capacity to simply be still seems to be losing favor as technology continues its advance into our lives. A Navajo proverb suggests "Be still, and the earth will speak to you". I have always enjoyed the moments and opportunities when I can be still....disengaging from everything and everyone around me for a short period of time, in order to allow myself time to reflect and consider who I am, where I am, where I want to be, and how I might get there. This time for reflection, in my humble opinion is critical to our spiritual growth. If we aren't reflecting on our life, we are essentially taking a journey without ever consulting a map. This is likely to result in our arrival at a place we never thought we would be and leave us wondering "How did I get here?"
Apart from spiritual growth, a continually and endlessly connected person runs the risk of "knowing what just happened" at the expense of "missing the now". How often have you been in conversation with someone, or sharing a meal, when your conversation is interrupted by the vibration of a phone or the ringing of chime from your companion's pocket. While some consider this cute, and others define it as necessary, the message I usually see is "whatever this is, it is more important than this moment with you". How do you connect in any kind of meaningful way with someone whose attention is continually distracted by other things. Our ability to have meaningful conversation has been subverted by our connectivity, leading us to believe that by taking turns offering a series of one-line thoughts shared back and forth we are having a "conversation".
I am not against technology. I do believe we need to control it rather than allowing it to control our lives. We need to unplug now and then. We need to turn our cell phone off now and then. The world will not end if you miss that cute puppy pic on Facebook, or don't learn of the fate of your favorite team until you see or read the news later that evening. Believe it or not, when you unplug you will not perish. You will, however, be required to engage, meaningfully, with the people you are with. Perhaps, in the end, this is what being wired does for us: It allows us to avoid any kind of meaningful connection that may require more of us. We need not worry about what might be asked or expected of us, and yet we can fool ourselves into believing we are social, and we are there for others, thanks to that supportive post we just wrote, or that insightful thought we just re-tweeted.
The world would be a better place if we could all just find some quiet time. Next time you are walking or exercising, fore-go the iPod once - just to see where your mind will take you. As you drive home from work, turn the radio off in the car...and let the silence wrap you in a cloak of tenderness that restores your spirit. Maybe, just maybe, now and then, turn your cell phone off so that you can devote your full attention to the person in front of you. Be still, and listen, and you will find the earth will speak to you.
