The Real Deal

Facebook is such a fascinating creation. In more ways than one, it is nothing short of trouble. It creates perceptions of others' lives that are untrue; it brings a sense of failure to our own personal lives as we view others' as more exciting. And yet, it keeps us connected and it makes us aware of issues that are bigger than ourselves. So even though it, at times, annoys me and makes me want to throw my iPad across the room, I still find myself checking it far too many times a day: This video looks interesting--what's it about? Let's see...Oh look at her photo! Beautiful. Let's check her out (proceed stalking)...Someone posted a Taylor Swift video. Gotta love me some Taylor. I think I need to hear Shake It Off...and so it continues.

I would be tempted, for the sake of using my time more wisely, to delete my account, but the truth is, Facebook is a vehicle of communication that I am not sure I can live without. It keeps me updated on local events. It lets me know how my friend Katie is doing as she battles cancer. I can peek in on Diane who just gave birth at 28 weeks to her beautiful baby boy.  It provides a window into Kylie's wedding as she marries the love of her life today. And the list continues. And so, for now, I will keep doing my best to practice responsibility with my time so that I'm not wasting too many hours perusing when I should be organizing or cleaning or reading or ... well, a host of other things.

Recently, my girls and I were talking about the false perceptions brought on by Facebook. Savana made the comment that her professor said Don't compare your behind-the-scenes with someone else's highlight reel. 

Media brings a whole new world to our world. A few months ago, my friend Joy and I were talking about how we are such a unique generation--those in our age group--as we have truly experienced life with and life without media. We can all remember what life was like before the age of the Internet and cell phones and computers. And yet, we are now fully engrossed in the media world as it infiltrates every aspect of our adult lives. Someday, my grandkids will probably laugh and say, "You didn't have cell phones? How did you communicate?"

At times, I admittedly miss the simple of pre-media days. But I wouldn't choose to go back--not really. I love instant communication via texting and keeping up with friends as though they are still my neighbors and the ability to research and learn at the touch of a button. Media brings a fascinating world in its wake and I am grateful for how it has opened up so much opportunity in my own life.

Yesterday we had nine people squeezed around our table for lunch. Darian was home with Daniella and Guerin, of course, was over, and a couple of others for good measure, and so there was lots of laughter and craziness--my favorite kind of moment. We were talking about the direction cars are headed as Guerin is an engineering major. He was explaining how they are working on a car now that is simply programmed and it takes you wherever you want to go. It doesn't have any pedals or a steering wheel but is purely computer-driven. Most accidents, he explained, are due to human error and these cars have all kinds of sensors that allow it to see for two hundred yards in all directions and thus make decisions that humans aren't able to make due to our limited abilities in comparison.

Maybe I won't see this in my own lifetime--at least not in grand proportions. But my grandkids? Who knows. It may be their world: computer-driven cars. Hey, let's go to Disney World! We can sleep on the way and be there by morning!

It's fascinating, really--the opportunity that awaits. And with these opportunities will come a host of new challenges. That is just how life rolls.

My grandparents would never have conceived of the world we live in today. And yet? Here we are. And someday, our modern will be someone else's archaic.

But the part that I love--the aspect of life that brings a common denominator to it all--is that life isn't about the latest invention or the biggest and brightest toys. It isn't about Youtube or Facebook or having a faster Internet speed. Rather, life is about relationships. It's about laughter and sunsets and inspiration and wonder and joy.

The one thing that our ancestors treasured--and that we still treasure today--is family and connection and integrity and honesty and love.

It's easy to get caught up in the latest and greatest craze. It's easy to believe the world that is being broadcast is the real deal. But I happen to believe, that the real deal is the same real deal that has been around for generations.

And that real deal is friendship and community and having each other's backs. It's the stuff that's been around for ages, since time began.

And it's the same stuff that will continue for as long as life remains on this planet.