© Rhoberta Shaler, PhD
www.Rhoberta.com
I just had to laugh at myself a couple of days ago. I made a cell phone call to the most important man in my life while driving sixty-five miles an hour down the San Diego freeway. He didn’t answer. I left voicemail.
Here’s where the laugh came: I found myself annoyed that it would likely take sixty seconds for him to get the voicemail ring and return my call! How absurd!
Where did we get the need for speed? How is it that I could not stay amazed and grateful that I could even make a call from my car? Then, how did I get so impatient in this rushing blur of a technological world that I needed faster than instant response? Big questions.
Have you ever had a similar experience? Have you ever found yourself impatient with technology when the little electrons are doing the most amazing things that you could not have envisioned ten years ago?
Now, I’m not talking about the frustrations of technology: those moments that cause you to want to send the monitor, computer, iPhone, etc. sailing out the first available window. I’m talking about the insanity of the need for speed in a world that is near instant already.
What do you think?
…and, it’s a great opportunity to remember to Sow Peace, too…lol
Rhoberta
Ask it here.
hehe… yes, i stop and notice that quite often. WHY or HOW has all this technology made EVERYTHING in our lives require speed?? And what is it about US that incites aggravation when things happen slowly?
Good questions. When fax machines became affordable, everyone that that it was the most wonderful thing since sliced bread! You did not have to wait for a letter to go through the mail, or documents to be at the mercy of the post office. Now, we send documents from cell phones and think it’s too slow. Go figure!
Maybe we need to do a little peace sowing in our own lives. I know I had such a moment of realization that made me write this post. And, all the patience I needed was one minute. What was I thinking? Or, better yet, why wasn’t I thinking???? lol
i trust that phone call was with a handsfree device
Of course!
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The problem with the First World nations is that they have focused intently on better, bigger, faster and now we, as a society, all tend to expect everything immediately. We have email, telephones, microwaves, cars, planes, downloading, shopping channels, etc..
I found myself annoyed that the plane ride back east took 5 hours… and then I was even more annoyed when I realised flying through the AIR at 35,000 ft wasn’t good enough for me.
The 1st world seems like a frat of spoiled rich kids, and with every new “convenience” we are given we lose a value somewhere along the way.
We’ve all got too many things, to be honest. Less is more. All these devices are distractions. I truly believe that if we strip our lives down to the bare bones and take a second to hear our own thoughts we’d be in a much more peaceful state of being.
Conveniences don’t make us grateful, they make us feel entitled…
Well said, Meghann. The idea of entitlement is prevalent…even, predominant. That is whole idea behind credit cards, isn’t it? You’re entitled to have it even though you cannot pay for it. That’s taken many folks down terrible rabbit holes.
Thanks for posting. I look forward to your insightful comments on other blog postings.
Sow Peace,
Rhoberta