OK. We all know how well I do on computers. If Himself were not the Master of All Internet Knowledge I would have lost my job and most of my friends years ago. But I will confess that the 21st Century occasionally redeems itself.
For example, one of the things which has been on my "to do" list since rocks were soft and the surface of the Earth was cooling was to look into becoming a voice over actor. That's one of the reasons I've been maintaining radio silence around here lately. I've been taking coaching via Zoom and am about to make my demo recording, which is really an exciting idea to me. But in the process I became friends with my technique coach who lives in Canada. She's a wonderful coach and a talented voice actor herself, but I also discovered in the chats before and after our sessions that she is a spiritual, kind, intelligent, and generally wonderful human being. Now that we don't have sessions anymore sometimes we will "Zoom" with a glass of wine in hand just to keep in touch. And I cannot wait for the Plague to end so I can go to Canada and meet her in person. Which brings me to the question, "What is friendship in the age of the Internet?" If it's the connection of one spirit to another then it is quite possible to find and nurture real friendships without breathing the same air. It is emotional support and a safe place to vent. It is a "new home" for our innermost self.
I have another friend whom I have never met, who lives in Oregon. She's an Episcopalian priest, and while we have a friend in common, we never got around to meeting in person before she moved to the wrong side of the country where the sun sets into the ocean instead of rising up out of it the way it is supposed to. We don't "face time" per se, but I keep track of her postings on Facebook and I am often nourished by what she shares. We'll text once in a while, and although we don't know each other well, I feel closer to her than I do to many people whom I see in person and have known for years.
It's been a blessing to be able to see my children during the pandemic, even though one is out in San Francisco (where the sun also sets into the ocean) and it took us two hours to open our Christmas presents online this year. Yet we felt present. To see a face I love, to hear a voice in real time is a grace and a gift. Maybe that's what the Internet is really for. Not for politics and making mean comments about the people who shop at Wal-Mart. I reply less and less to people I don't know. I no longer volunteer information about my favorite color or what kind of tree I would be. Those just give the hackers ammunition. But to touch base with wonderful people, not all of whom I've been lucky enough to hug, that's not such a bad thing.
Be nice to everyone out there. Wear your masks. Don't let your guard down. And don't forget to send buckets of positive energy into the Universe every day. We're all just taking a ride on The Big Blue Marble.
For example, one of the things which has been on my "to do" list since rocks were soft and the surface of the Earth was cooling was to look into becoming a voice over actor. That's one of the reasons I've been maintaining radio silence around here lately. I've been taking coaching via Zoom and am about to make my demo recording, which is really an exciting idea to me. But in the process I became friends with my technique coach who lives in Canada. She's a wonderful coach and a talented voice actor herself, but I also discovered in the chats before and after our sessions that she is a spiritual, kind, intelligent, and generally wonderful human being. Now that we don't have sessions anymore sometimes we will "Zoom" with a glass of wine in hand just to keep in touch. And I cannot wait for the Plague to end so I can go to Canada and meet her in person. Which brings me to the question, "What is friendship in the age of the Internet?" If it's the connection of one spirit to another then it is quite possible to find and nurture real friendships without breathing the same air. It is emotional support and a safe place to vent. It is a "new home" for our innermost self.
I have another friend whom I have never met, who lives in Oregon. She's an Episcopalian priest, and while we have a friend in common, we never got around to meeting in person before she moved to the wrong side of the country where the sun sets into the ocean instead of rising up out of it the way it is supposed to. We don't "face time" per se, but I keep track of her postings on Facebook and I am often nourished by what she shares. We'll text once in a while, and although we don't know each other well, I feel closer to her than I do to many people whom I see in person and have known for years.
It's been a blessing to be able to see my children during the pandemic, even though one is out in San Francisco (where the sun also sets into the ocean) and it took us two hours to open our Christmas presents online this year. Yet we felt present. To see a face I love, to hear a voice in real time is a grace and a gift. Maybe that's what the Internet is really for. Not for politics and making mean comments about the people who shop at Wal-Mart. I reply less and less to people I don't know. I no longer volunteer information about my favorite color or what kind of tree I would be. Those just give the hackers ammunition. But to touch base with wonderful people, not all of whom I've been lucky enough to hug, that's not such a bad thing.
Be nice to everyone out there. Wear your masks. Don't let your guard down. And don't forget to send buckets of positive energy into the Universe every day. We're all just taking a ride on The Big Blue Marble.
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