We have Come How Far in How Long?

The article below is referenced so that I didn’t use an unlicensed picture.  You don’t need to read it all, but do look at the picture near the end of the article.

Social Media history – histograph included.

I was 11 years old in 1969 when computer communication, basically, started.  That means I was alive and old enough to understand all of what has happened in the last 44 years to now.  Just think!  In less than 50 years, we have gone from specific communication between a few college and military computers to what we have now.  Also, in 1969 it was all text, no pictures.  I remember that when you wanted to see a picture, you had to download the binary code (all 1s and 0s), pages of it, then run a program to turn those numbers into a picture.  It also could take 15 minutes or longer for one picture!  The worst part, in my opinion, was that, often, you would lose the connection for a second and had to start all over (no recovery).  Also, a picture back then was around 200k as opposed to 2-3MB now.  So, the pictures you can get now in just a few seconds are about 10 times more pixels than the ones that took 15 minutes or longer then.

Then look!  The World Wide Web (the basic Internet for the longest time) was public in 1991.  That’s only 22 years ago!

The Internet had 2.6 million users in 1990 and 70 million users in only 9 more years!  We have exploded in the world of computer technology and communication.  As of last year, there were 2 Billion users on computers and 6 Billion mobile subscriptions.  Let’s not even get into how the phone has changed:  party lines when I was a kid to cell phones everywhere with cameras and GPS.

Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles, isn’t looking very hard.  We have gone from pre-school to post Doctorate in computer communication.  It is a lot of fun and games now.  It was fairly serious back then.  Games were all text-based and were written by college people and professors and such.  The idea that kids would be programming mods on video games was unheard of; in fact, the idea of an actual video game was kind of weird then, too.

So, when someone over 45 asks how you “youngsters” keep up the pace – stop responding with “what pace?”  To us, there is a definite pace.

How do you feel about the speed of evolution in technology and communication?

Other posts to reference:

Formatting Our Lives

Severed From Everything

Being on Speed

Namaste,

Scott

“You Should Go to Church”

It doesn’t matter where you are.

The title was something my Mom said to me today.   Setting:  in the hospital, after their minister (mine, too, I guess) had visited Dad.  I was leaving for home; Mom was walking me out.  She said this, not in anger, just in passing.  I don’t remember the entire conversation, but here are my thoughts:

I don’t see anything wrong with going to church.  For many people it is a time to rejoice, be with friends, and celebrate God.  Nothing wrong with any of that.  For others, it is a time to be introspective, learn about their religion’s beliefs, and give them time to pray in public.  Nothing wrong with any of that.

For me, it would, mostly, be a waste of my time.  It’s not that I don’t have strong beliefs; I do.  It’s not that I don’t pray; I do – a lot.  It’s not that I don’t want to be introspective; I do and I am.

However, church does not hold much for me, anymore.  It’s isn’t that I have outgrown it or anything; I am just in a different place.   I enjoy all my time now, and all of it is with God to one degree or another.  I see church as a place to concentrate on God and to be with Him.  I do that at home or out anywhere else.  I pray when I feel like it; it is a communication for me; a talking, not a specific ritual.  God and I talk; we converse; I make my needs and thoughts known; He responds.  He “speaks” in my head, through my conscience, my inner discussions.  I learn through these and through experiences as well as through watching the world and listening.

You all are a part of my learning process.  I learn through each and every post you do; I see your worlds, your lives, your people, everything about you that you put out for me to see.  I learn from the short poem about the bridge to the 5-6 page thought-provoking tour of your psyche you might present each day.  It has to be that way or else I could never get through following 80+ blogs a week.

Your lives are important to me and though I can’t quote you or your stories well all the time, I still know who you are and what you are like when I am in the midst of your stories and truths and trials.  I immerse myself in life and in your lives.  Vicarious living is fun and exciting and a learning experience as well as anything else.

I play video games and I learn about life there, too.  The people who write those (at least, the ones I play) are people who create rules and environments and then allow you, through your character, to interact and live a life with consequences.  Dying means getting another chance to try – that is a learning experience, too.

So, without excuses, I don’t go to church.  Life is my church; I am kinda always there.  I like it this way.  I try to share back with you and with others whose lives I come into contact with.  I intend to increase all of this and extend both my reach and my learning.

If you aren’t getting all of this out of life, it’s not because it isn’t there – please just wake up and start.  Church or no church, life is there and is good and has all kinds of experiences for you.

Namaste,

Scott