As our technology has increasingly alienated us from one another, I think we still long to be part of something bigger than our own selves. We can do so much alone without the aid of or acknowledging, talking to, or listening to another person, from self service check outs, ATMs, and online chat rooms and social media. The result is further isolation and loss of social skills in dealing with other people.
Once in a store, there was a lady who walked around with her cell phone wedged between her shoulder and head, and oblivious to others around her. In face, she did not realize she dropped her credit card on the floor until I pointed it out to her. A look around around a bar, coffee shop, or any social gathering will show people fixed on their iPhone, tablet, laptop, or whatever new device that is out there checking texts, emails, videos, music, or video games. Most of our "friends" are now on Facebook, where actual interaction with many of them (you know, like meeting them in person and doing things with them), are in cyberspace.
In the end, though, a void has been created where inside us is a desire to be part of something larger, whether it be a family, club, country, or a cause. I think we want others to identify us as part of a group despite our penchant for individuality.
Thus started the trend of "(Insert your favorite person/movie character/sports hero) Nation," or "Team (Insert favorite cause, animal, or hobby)." Others may call it a community or tribe. But whatever you call it, I think it speaks of a longing for the comradeship of others. Accompanying such identifications are the obligatory tee shirts, since they're the most visible, or Facebook pages (again with the social media). Quiet time is good, and computers can be a gateway to entertainment and information, but if that is all we have, we can become pretty hollow.
Once in a store, there was a lady who walked around with her cell phone wedged between her shoulder and head, and oblivious to others around her. In face, she did not realize she dropped her credit card on the floor until I pointed it out to her. A look around around a bar, coffee shop, or any social gathering will show people fixed on their iPhone, tablet, laptop, or whatever new device that is out there checking texts, emails, videos, music, or video games. Most of our "friends" are now on Facebook, where actual interaction with many of them (you know, like meeting them in person and doing things with them), are in cyberspace.
In the end, though, a void has been created where inside us is a desire to be part of something larger, whether it be a family, club, country, or a cause. I think we want others to identify us as part of a group despite our penchant for individuality.
Thus started the trend of "(Insert your favorite person/movie character/sports hero) Nation," or "Team (Insert favorite cause, animal, or hobby)." Others may call it a community or tribe. But whatever you call it, I think it speaks of a longing for the comradeship of others. Accompanying such identifications are the obligatory tee shirts, since they're the most visible, or Facebook pages (again with the social media). Quiet time is good, and computers can be a gateway to entertainment and information, but if that is all we have, we can become pretty hollow.
