Hello all. I see no one has been posting so I will attempt to create a discussion. It seems that Facebook is growing and creating a virtual bar scene formed by individuals who want to stay in touch with their "friends". This virtual world is actually the world that we wish we had. In a perfect world we would control who we stay in contact with and who we can shut out from our sphere of influence. It seems great at first glance, but there is a deeper sadness that prevails. Of course I'm just speaking from personal experiences, but I'm sure someone, somewhere agrees with me. I started my Facebook experience with a gentle push from a good friend. It started out great. I could stay in contact with my friends even though I am hundreds of miles away from them. I can share photos, ideas, and news with everyone and stay close to those I wish to stay close to. As my friend circle grew I came into contact with individuals from my past that I have lost contact with. Again, this is a good thing. There are those that I want to find and others that I miss. However, the deeper I go into the vast spiderweb of connections, the more people I find from the past that I wish to forget. There are those that I hate, some that I have wronged, and some that bring back bitter memories. I'm not a perfect person and I have done things in the past that I regret. Sometimes I wonder how I got here and end up dwelling on the bad choices I have made (which are numerous). Though Facebook does provide me with endless entertainment, it also makes me depressed. I often wonder what could have been or find myself comparing my life to another. Maybe I'm just getting old. I am not happy with my life in general and Facebook seems to remind me of this.
There are things in this life that do give me joy. I must do what I can to embrace these. But what is a successful life, anyway? Is it money? Fame? Inter-personal relationships? Who knows. Who cares. Why do we have to be successful in the first place? What is success? I think we spend too much time worrying about our time on this Earth. So much time, in fact, that I feel we miss the point. We are insignificant on a large enough time line. Our existence is meaningless. Our lifespan is a blink of an eye on the universal scale. There is so much we don't understand about life. We should embrace this and tap into mystery. There are no answers to the important questions. Why are we here? Are we alone in the universe? What is life? More importantly, we do not need to know (though if the answer was revealed, I doubt we could comprehend it). The problem with humanity is that we have always strived to regain control from the chaos that is life. It could be religion, or Facebook, or "success". Who cares?!?!? I don't need to feel validated for my actions, nor do I need a comfortable explanation of the world around me. We should tap into the unknown. Our souls, the very nature of our existence, is unique in every person. Embrace this. Our expression and personal view on life is unique. Embrace this. Find a way to express what can't be expressed. The greatest thing the human race has to offer the universe is art. Expression in it's most pure form. Those who can embrace art (understand, interpret, or create) are those who are "successful". At least that is what I believe. Your art doesn't need to be popular or mass-produced. It needs to exist. If I reach just one person with my art, I am happy. I can die a happy man. I have connected with another soul on a level I can not fathom. We do not need to understand something in order to tap into it's energy. We simply do. We must.
Well, I guess I started this post feeling very depressed about life, but in the process of writing I have come to a better understanding of the big picture. I just need to keep this in mind the next time someone shows me pictures of their three kids or brags about their advanced degree. My art can survive the ages and offers a better understanding of our place in time and space. Your bank account will be gone in 50 years. I feel better. Thanks for letting me vent.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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I hear you, my friend. And once again, we find ourselves on common ground. Facebook is making us all lazy, and frankly, it is robbing us of each other. While it appears to keep people in touch, what it really does is keep people apart. Ok,so I can see pictures of someone, keep a distance eye on the daily activities in their life, and basically communicate with them in a way that allows me to never, ever actually speak to them or see them in person again. My friends become a page in my computer. And that's it. And that's sad. As a person that looks to be inspired or inspiring each day, I can't explain how depressed I have become as the result of not interacting with the amazing people in my life in a real setting. You know, with voices and smiles and furoughed brows and raised eyebrows and tears and warmth and eyes that let me see truth - something beyond the here and now. Something that transcends our existence. Something that shakes the earth and let's the universe know that we are here and alive. We don't have to be important in the grand scheme of things. We just have to be real.
ReplyDeleteReal, is the contribution we make to this planet that lasts beyond our time here. Art is a significant part for many people. For me, art is everything from my red toenails to the wind rustling the trees at 9624 feet elevation. Keep it real, and the rest takes care of itself. You impact the world around you by challenging fear and conquering it. First though, the desire. Don't be afraid to make changes...even unpopular ones. There is inspiration in that...there is art in that.
I'm sure the friend that gave you the gentle push just thought it would be cool to play Scrabble with you. And I bet they loved being your only facebook friend for a time:)
Oh, and you can die a happy man. I'm certain of it.