Connection. It's a linking to something beyond the self, or perhaps to the inner self. It's physical, it's psychological, it's social, and it's spiritual. The act of connecting is a here-and-now sharing that is the foundation of relationship building. It can feel exhilarating and scary. It's a veritable paradox of liberation through fusion. Some of us spend our lives searching for connection while others spend their lives running from its possibility.
In this era of social networking, instant communication via IMs and texts, and a plethora of gadgets to keep us connected, how has this impacted our ability to know ourselves or relate to another on an intimate level? Is the balance just right? Or is the feast causing famine?
I love face book in that I have connected with you and other family members. I also like to text a few friends. However, I do think sometimes it keeps us from really having conversations with people. Seems like what we are doing more and more are one liners.
ReplyDeleteGayle,
ReplyDeleteI have wondered about that as well. Social networking sites have given me the chance to touch base with so many people that I would never have been able to. But, how much am I really connecting with people vs reading and writing the one-liners you mentioned. Is that really connection? I'm certainly grateful for these sites, but there's something to be said for a good face to face, live conversation.