Yes, this week I was touched.
I have always considered modern internet communication to be artificial and superficial. And although I accept it, and cope with it … ( or try to…
) I never thought and still do not think it is as good as meeting people and to be able to "touch them" literally, physically.Facebook, Twitter, and maybe DA to a certain, extent entail quick communications, instant communications, and therefore, instant thinking, without previous research or previous deeper reasoning.
Furthermore, I have always feared risks regarding private life, especially since some people send me links showing me on Facebook in situations implying that I was supporting someone or some cause simply because I was attending an event. The pictures and comments were not wrong, but were somehow misleading. And recent events in UK are just increasing this fear. I like to say that old fashioned phone communications cannot be intercepted by some computer wiz walking down the street (although they can be otherwise) and at least, you do not lose old fashioned phones with a cord !!!
Lastly, I must concede I have friends I know very well, but have not heard of them or seen them in such a long time. Work, family, responsibilities, distance, Life, has taken us away to a certain extent. There is no regular or constant continuity in our relationship. Huge parts or our respective lives are now escaping our daily knowledge.
"Small talk" is often disregarded or discredited, but it is also part of our daily lives. I do not have much "Small talk" anymore with friends I barely meet anymore.
Internet, or vehicles such as DA on the other hand allow us, if we wish so, to get into a regular contact with other people, and rightfully or not, allows us to have a little of this necessary "Small talk".
Maybe a good balance between real life and virtual life is acceptable, and even maybe desirable.
All this thinking simply because my birthday happens to be in early July. And through DA, I received much more, (but many many more) birthday messages than I ever expected.
And I touched me. Really. And it cheered me up as well.
It touched me because I know well enough some of these deviants, while some others, very respectfully, I do no remember who they are….
But somehow, they all took time to send me a short message, took time to put all these fancy cakes and symbols just for me, probably expecting nothing in return, except probably that I get a nice day on my birthday. To a certain extent, we are all alone in our lives, and yet at the same time we are surrounded by caring people in our immediate environment, and today, we are surrounded by caring people all around the world as well.
This is quite something.
Now, if you allow me to bragg a little bit, I will mention that in my early twenties, I wished I looked physically more like my friends, which were a more "coated", especially around their arms and shoulders….
Today, most of my friends have grey hair, which surprisingly is not my case at all. And they are still better coated than I am, but the coating is not where they wish anymore.... while my coating has not changed at all.....
This little bragging however must not let me take away real life. If I look backwards, I would consider last year as an "annus horribilis" (1) or "yearus horribilus". I will just state that about 10 years ago, I felt sick, and needed to be hospitalized. Although my health probably recovered well enough, professionnally, I never truly recovered. Repeated ant repeated small wounds have been very hard on self-esteem and belief curse of events can be improved. Moreover, during the last year, I have made a series of mistakes and misjudgments, and although involuntary, some people suffered from my decisions – or lack of decisions. Luckily, or "blessingly(?)" my family is a supporting treasure.
Nevertheless, I have been hoping every single month for the last months that the "annus horribilis" would very soon come to an end, but it never truly happened.
For various reasons, I think today I am now on my way to turn the page. It might be longer than what I ever feared, but I shall start on a new blank page sometime in the coming months, certainly or hopefully with a little more discernment.
In this context, all the wishes received just cheered me up, and inclined me to lay back daily problems in a broader perspective of life going on.
Yes, this week I was touched.
I was touched because I did not expect so many wishes from so many people, and somehow, it gave me a bit of strenght to go on. And I shall remember that what might appear as useless or trivial messages might sometimes have significant impact.
Thank you so much, …… and Happy Birthday to me !!!
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Bernache
(1) Here, I did not invent the expression, but I am paraphrasing our prime minister who (correctly) called his last political year as an "annus horribilis"
