Thursday, October 7, 2021
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the miracle of a localized, real-time experience is not replicable in a virtual format. We cannot effectively recreate physical presence through electronic means. The energy and connection of close proximity, and the real-time, live experience has something that we as humans desperately need. We need each other in shared time and space. Sharing localized, synchronized experiences together, is a palpable phenomenon that is fading from our current, electronic culture.
How much of today’s experiences will be through electronic means? Most likely, you’ll be spending most of your time communicating through text, email, social media, or by phone. It has become our preferred method to “interact” with one another. Being in the presence of others might slow you down or keep you from all your “work.” It’s more convenient to just shoot a text, or to answer a bunch of emails. But not so fast!
Your face-to-face encounters are the most precious of all of your experiences today. Recognize the lost need for presence – proximity to others. There is no substitute for the energy of gathering in a shared, time-space continuum. Don’t let these meaningful encounters slip through your fingers, without noticing the miracle of being right next to another, in the same space, and at the same time. You can also sense your own presence today. Be connected to reality as much as you can, not tied to the demands of virtual “reality.” In the moments that you share with another, with no forms of electronic distraction, reconnect to what life (presence) is all about. Value real-time interaction. Savor how it makes you feel grounded, connected, and true to what it means to be alive.