I'm here today to tell you a few things and I want you to pay attention because these are important things. Are you ready? Let's roll!
There are so many tools that empower you to talk to people these days. They also empower you to see what these other people are saying. None of them facilitate listening, however. None of them promote understanding. The ability to talk to hear/see other people talk is a good start, though. I'll admit that. On the other hand, we always could do that, just a lot slower. Now we can ignore or misunderstand each other much faster. Of course, we can also really communicate, really connect faster. We can understand each other faster. It's true. The ability to listen and to understand have to come from us, however. The gadgets cannot help us there.
I've been thinking a lot about the wonders of modern technology, like robot bread makers and cars that run on corn and phones that can tell you what song you're hearing. "And where was I when I first heard this song, phone?" I would ask.
"You were in the airport in Chicago, Scott."
"And how did the song make me feel, phone?"
"It made you feel hollow and cavernous, as though you were plummeting far down to certain death inside your own chest, Scott."
"Ah, yes," I would say. "I remember that now. Thank you, phone. You're a good friend to me."
"And you to me, Scott."
I have to be honest with you at this point: I really didn't have anything important to say. I apologize for misleading you in the beginning of the post. I just wanted to grab your attention so you didn't wander away. It was a cheap trick and I shouldn't have done it.
Hello, friends. How are you today?
Later. Love.