Living These Days

I was thinking tonight about the amount of information we have readily available to us all the time. When I was growing up - not all that long ago, thank you very much - we had network news and that was about it as far as timely info. There was a newspaper, but of course the news was at least a day old by the time you got it. There was not on-site satellite reporting from where news was happening. Radio news had already been relegated to a token. Research required a good relationship with your local librarian and an understanding of the Reader's Guide - is that what that thing was called that listed magazine articles - I think it was. Remember how we all carried around card files with notes about research in high school?

Now I'm on the computer large parts of every day. And, if in the middle of a project I make a reference to something and then have a question about whether or not I remember it correctly, it's easy to google for it and check myself. If I suddenly get a hankering to learn what baby gorillas eat, it's no trouble for me to find out. If I feel a weird numbness in half of my ring finger and my pinky, Dr. Google will shortly point me to an ulner nerve problem. A few keystrokes and almost anything information I want is right there on my screen.

I'm also able to share the daily lives of people I would never be likely to meet in person through their blogs. I keep up on the trials and joys of being an actor in Canada, owning a vineyard in France, living in Morocco, riding horses in Egypt and being a writer in New York - all from my home office in Hutchinson Kansas. This is something that has never been available to people until now - no matter their socio-economic status. Until this moment in history we have not had the opportunity to connect in this way. People all over the world read my blog, sharing my daily life, and I'm continually flattered by it. I continue to be amazed at how alike we all are on the big things, and that our differences are in the details.

These are fascinating times in which we live. Mind-boggling and mind-stretching. I like to stretch my perceptions of "normal." I like to make room for all kinds of possibilities. I like to get a glimpse of what could be, instead of just what is.

Recently, this video was posted on whatsuphutch.com. I found it quite interesting. It's well worth your five minutes to watch it. Just click on the arrow in the middle of the picture below and it will automatically play for you. It may take a minute, so be patient. I'd love to hear your comments on this.



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