Sometimes
in the forest, all one can see are trees. The whole of the forest has become lost. I am far-sighted, but this is
what I imagine it is like to be near-sighted!
For
a period of time, I needed space to regain perspective regarding the perennial
question of why I write? Then, just like that, my intent came into focus. A
primary question for me is how to live responsibly (and sometimes choosing to act) in our world of instant
connection without getting swallowed up by it?
Over
the past months I have had numerous conversations about how to stay
attuned with world news, when the temptation sometimes is to ignore the news
completely. Living like an ostrich by hiding one’s head in the ground! Whenever I
think of this metaphor, I can feel grit and sand in my mouth - and in my hair. There
must be better metaphors to describe this occasional desire to live in some
fantasy of bliss and ignorance.
The
presidential campaign is a good example. The media is busy reporting every
twitch the candidates make. As the primaries roll around, everyone needs to vote.
To determine the future direction for our country, we need to be informed. But
instead of substance, sound bites, downright misinformation, and picky
accusations often are "in our face" - instead of substantial conversation about essential issues. Then the temptation is to throw up one’s hands, go
for a nice long walk, read a good novel, or watch a comedy on Netflick.
I
would have a very warped perspective if I were limited to newspapers, TV news, or
the Internet to tell me what was going on. It is said that bad news sells – good news
does not. Our urban newspaper used to group (limit) articles about who shot who to one page. Now violence is
reported on every page. Certainly daily shootings at schools and colleges,
domestic and child abuse, tragic deaths due to poor driving, and scams that
cheat people out of their life savings are real-time events. Inviting the
question: do we live in a more violent society than we did several decades ago?
Someone
I know well has been doing a lot of genealogical research. One source of
information is old newspapers – before technology gave us this barrage of
information. She says that you wouldn’t believe the amount of violence reported
one hundred years ago! Or listen to the numbers of fatalities from WWI or WWII.
Statistics that stagger our mental capacity to comprehend.
Fortunately,
I do not live in a bubble with limited interaction with other people. The
kindness of people in stores and neighborhood restaurants often touches me
deeply. Reminding me of the core of basic goodness in almost everyone. It is
part of how I balance the bad news with the good news.
Technology
has given us an incredible gift. Text messages connect me to family members and
close friends in an instant. Events in France, Japan, and elsewhere are at my
fingertips. It’s not the “good old days” when letters were our primary option
and a long distance phone call was reserved for emergency situations only. My mother-in-law actually used to hang up when the conversation turned to casual topics!
We
build levees on great rivers to prevent the land and its inhabitants from being overwhelmed with water.
But if a levee is built too high, we lose visual connection with life-giving
rivers. It comes back to that basic question: how do we balance the flow of
information with our need for respite? And how do we convert that information
into knowledge?
In
the months ahead, I want to explore this question of balance and perspective.
Hopefully for you, my writing will invite you to your own exploration about maintaining balance in your life. That is what I call the creation of wisdom out of knowledge. And
we sorely need wisdom in our world today!
