It's quiet here tonight. The roomies are gone and the apartment is mine. I've got the television off and my CD player is sharing the newest tunes of my collection, Fertile Ground. With the rain going nowhere and the slight waft of autumn in the air, the music floats magically as I am tucked under my favorite blanket. I have four other similar albums in the player's queue. Waiting.
Sigh.
Lazy Fridays are rare. Lonely ones are even farther between. I'm liking this quite a bit. Solitude is a foreign concept around here. There's always someone nearby. Living with three other people makes it inevitable. I treasure my few minutes at the end of the day when I arrive home before everyone else. I can collect myself, reflect, and gather my thoughts. I wouldn't say I completely unwind, but I do detox from my day.
I met Rich's wife today. She was telling me about a friend of hers who has a Sidekick, that makes email and messaging a hip away. She looked like she was about to burst as she described what it could do. When she was done, I was candid and shared that I had no desire to be that accessible. Not skipping a beat, she turned to Rich and said she'd like to be that accessible. There are times that I don't even want to hear my cell phone ring once more. I can't imagine wanting more accessibility and paying for it.
I'm not naive. I know it will happen one day. It's where technology is going and it's on the horizon. I'm just not committing any sooner than I must.
The irony is that the technology "connects" us while pushing us farther apart. People walk around with their noses in the Blackberries (aka Crackberries here in DC) and are detached from everything around them. Please. Quit reading your up-to-the-minute weather report and lift your eyes.
We're at the point where everything can be done from home. You can order your Friday night without any form of human contact. Pizza. Movies. Games. I guess human interaction is optional (unless you live in apartment with three others... there aren't too many options there!).
Maybe the creators of this technology had roommates and rare alone time. That's the only thing I can figure. It was an escape. Now it's just becoming a reality for all.
3 comments:
i thought i was the only person left in the world who didn't jump every time my cell phone rings. i often let it go to voicemail, unless it's vinnie. Pavlov's Dogs anyone?? my assistant now answers her phone in my classroom while i'm teaching - it really pisses me off!! -kl(h)m
Your age can make such a differents, when you said Sidekick I thought of that little red 4W drive jeep we had.....ha ha ha....I had to go and look at what you were talking about...Billy would have done better...so glad to see your writting...
I hope I live long enough to read your first novel - such great writing!
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