Even in a small country like the UK the reliance on sat nav and phones has brought a degree of geographical ignorance to the young and forgetfulness to the ret of us. At the same time, however, the accurate mapping of routes and journey times has emboldened us to travel to destinations we might not have considered in the past. The result: we visit more places, but we don’t know how we got there. How d’you like that for a metaphor for the 21st century?
Thank you, this really resonates. Over Christmas we went to visit my parents in Florida. Based on some people’s reactions you would have thought I told them I was going to Saigon in 1975 or Baghdad in 2003. When our plane landed in Orlando I started to question myself “Am I being irresponsible? Am I a public health terrorist?” And then we deplaned to find... life persisting more or less as always.
The first time we went to Manesota Key in Florida we flew from Indiana to Sarasota in about 2 1/2 hours. Got our car, drove 30 miles and were 100 yards from our not so well marked turn , stopping for coffee and gas I asked the clerk if she knew where the town or road was, just to make small talk and spread our joy of the Gulf smell compared to the 10⁰ smell of home in winter, we didn't have a cell then so printed the directions out before hand. She never heard of the town or road but was convinced it was 30 miles north even though our map said different. 3 hours later, 2 more unsuccessful stops we found it across from our first stop. Being almost 3am we stopped at the same place, refilling again getting more coffee. Told her it was across the road in case others might ask, thanked her then were told in no uncertain terms we were wrong, that road definitely didn't go 2 miles across the bay to Manesota Key. This adventure that took longer than the flight and drive would become the story we told, not the 2 weeks we spent indoors because of red tide that was the worst ever according to the 90 year old couple that stayed next to us. Working as a kid in a full service station 100 miles between Chicago and Indianapolis I had to know every road and turn between purdue and Indianapolis and Saturdays were more about directions than checking the oil or fill ups. Seems to me technology has taken away the ability to think for ourselves or even read a road map. These types of things I never dreamed would happen and most definitely make me feel extremely old
“Phone’s dead.” The truth. “Have you been to Friendship?”
“Sure.”
“It’s east of here. Slightly northeast of here. Correct?”
He frowned and shrugged and gazed off to his right at a kid in a ballcap skulking in the candy aisle, a possible shoplifter. “Can’t help you. Sorry.”
*********
This is amazing writing. Reading these paragraphs makes me feel a cold sweaty dread - like watching it play out in a horror movie, rather than in your short-story/essay. It's a horror movie where (like the Stuff - Starring Michael Moriarty) - People are slowly being taken over by "The Stuff" and they are slowly losing awareness of their pre-Stuffy consciousness.
We live in a horror world now, where because of our reliance upon technology, we are using social media as our sole "sense making apparatus" instead of using it strictly as a tool to stay in touch with people we know and care about.
We are turning into Zombies.. "moral imbiciles" --- and we aren't even aware that it's happening, the transformation is so insidious.
Are we muddling through these times searching for the way to name it and make sense of it? I guess that’s what we humans have always done. Walter named it. That’s why I like it.
In brazilian jiu jitsu, an extremely difficult and complex martial art, the naming of positions, techniques, and systems has revolutionized the game. It creates brain pathways and enhanced familiarity. Knowledge assymetry against an ignorant opponent.
I don't drive any more (elder eyes), and my husband always did the driving when we went out of town, but I never liked the interstate highways. They all looked the same, same signage, same bland grey ribbons of concrete. I felt disconnected from the heart of the places we couldn't see from the windows. The interstate system and Windows are alike in their disconnecting. Missing Friendship, and not just a town.
I'm visiting lots of locations with Google Earth, but only where there is freedom. The cameras only go to where they are accepted and wanted. So in one day I was at the northern end of Ireland, before the ferry crossed to Scotland and after that I was in Uruguay, walking down a promenade in Montevideo. When I get there physically, I will recognize the place and know the people as if I was visiting daily. Common elements in our human aspiration are universal. It is to that we recognize Humans are infants in comparison as to what's in store for them. Oh yes, good wins.
We have a town somewhere here in SW Wisconsin called "Romance," no joke. A smartphone even with batteries won't get you there either, probably. My son is 12 years old and I've not purchased smartphone for him, yet. I try to remember what it was like to have a crush on a boy and navigating that emotional rollercoaster in the mid 80's, in a world without social media. I remember that the yearbook was our equivalent of a post on facebook, where people said horrible things for posterity or where you made amends for past transgressions. I wonder what it will be like for him to find Friendship or Romance and it makes feel an amount of dread that I can't even begin to quantify.
Back before Covid, my niece (Montanan by birth) visited us on break from University of Chicago, and she said that she was having a hard time meeting people there, that she felt lonely. While I was teaching her to play cribbage, I asked if there were clubs for people who like to play cards because surely she could meet real people there. Last I heard, she had indeed found a group to play cards with, and then Covid happened. She is now at home in Great Falls again, doing online learning. But I hope she's maintaining friendships with the card players, somehow.
Even in a small country like the UK the reliance on sat nav and phones has brought a degree of geographical ignorance to the young and forgetfulness to the ret of us. At the same time, however, the accurate mapping of routes and journey times has emboldened us to travel to destinations we might not have considered in the past. The result: we visit more places, but we don’t know how we got there. How d’you like that for a metaphor for the 21st century?
Shit. You should go deeper on this.
It's not entirely "safe" anymore to go too too much deeper on that vein, is my estimation.
Thank you, this really resonates. Over Christmas we went to visit my parents in Florida. Based on some people’s reactions you would have thought I told them I was going to Saigon in 1975 or Baghdad in 2003. When our plane landed in Orlando I started to question myself “Am I being irresponsible? Am I a public health terrorist?” And then we deplaned to find... life persisting more or less as always.
The first time we went to Manesota Key in Florida we flew from Indiana to Sarasota in about 2 1/2 hours. Got our car, drove 30 miles and were 100 yards from our not so well marked turn , stopping for coffee and gas I asked the clerk if she knew where the town or road was, just to make small talk and spread our joy of the Gulf smell compared to the 10⁰ smell of home in winter, we didn't have a cell then so printed the directions out before hand. She never heard of the town or road but was convinced it was 30 miles north even though our map said different. 3 hours later, 2 more unsuccessful stops we found it across from our first stop. Being almost 3am we stopped at the same place, refilling again getting more coffee. Told her it was across the road in case others might ask, thanked her then were told in no uncertain terms we were wrong, that road definitely didn't go 2 miles across the bay to Manesota Key. This adventure that took longer than the flight and drive would become the story we told, not the 2 weeks we spent indoors because of red tide that was the worst ever according to the 90 year old couple that stayed next to us. Working as a kid in a full service station 100 miles between Chicago and Indianapolis I had to know every road and turn between purdue and Indianapolis and Saturdays were more about directions than checking the oil or fill ups. Seems to me technology has taken away the ability to think for ourselves or even read a road map. These types of things I never dreamed would happen and most definitely make me feel extremely old
You wrote:
“Phone’s dead.” The truth. “Have you been to Friendship?”
“Sure.”
“It’s east of here. Slightly northeast of here. Correct?”
He frowned and shrugged and gazed off to his right at a kid in a ballcap skulking in the candy aisle, a possible shoplifter. “Can’t help you. Sorry.”
*********
This is amazing writing. Reading these paragraphs makes me feel a cold sweaty dread - like watching it play out in a horror movie, rather than in your short-story/essay. It's a horror movie where (like the Stuff - Starring Michael Moriarty) - People are slowly being taken over by "The Stuff" and they are slowly losing awareness of their pre-Stuffy consciousness.
We live in a horror world now, where because of our reliance upon technology, we are using social media as our sole "sense making apparatus" instead of using it strictly as a tool to stay in touch with people we know and care about.
We are turning into Zombies.. "moral imbiciles" --- and we aren't even aware that it's happening, the transformation is so insidious.
I got chills reading this...
"dream ether of byte-scapes". Brilliant writing.
Are we muddling through these times searching for the way to name it and make sense of it? I guess that’s what we humans have always done. Walter named it. That’s why I like it.
In brazilian jiu jitsu, an extremely difficult and complex martial art, the naming of positions, techniques, and systems has revolutionized the game. It creates brain pathways and enhanced familiarity. Knowledge assymetry against an ignorant opponent.
Technological isolation apparently isnt enough.
They want EVERYTHING.
I don't drive any more (elder eyes), and my husband always did the driving when we went out of town, but I never liked the interstate highways. They all looked the same, same signage, same bland grey ribbons of concrete. I felt disconnected from the heart of the places we couldn't see from the windows. The interstate system and Windows are alike in their disconnecting. Missing Friendship, and not just a town.
Superhighways...fast and convenient but often soul sucking. Good story.
I'm visiting lots of locations with Google Earth, but only where there is freedom. The cameras only go to where they are accepted and wanted. So in one day I was at the northern end of Ireland, before the ferry crossed to Scotland and after that I was in Uruguay, walking down a promenade in Montevideo. When I get there physically, I will recognize the place and know the people as if I was visiting daily. Common elements in our human aspiration are universal. It is to that we recognize Humans are infants in comparison as to what's in store for them. Oh yes, good wins.
16 ounces is a pint, not a quart. I guess you were never a broke-ass alcoholic, or you'd know your liquid unit conversions.
We have a town somewhere here in SW Wisconsin called "Romance," no joke. A smartphone even with batteries won't get you there either, probably. My son is 12 years old and I've not purchased smartphone for him, yet. I try to remember what it was like to have a crush on a boy and navigating that emotional rollercoaster in the mid 80's, in a world without social media. I remember that the yearbook was our equivalent of a post on facebook, where people said horrible things for posterity or where you made amends for past transgressions. I wonder what it will be like for him to find Friendship or Romance and it makes feel an amount of dread that I can't even begin to quantify.
Back before Covid, my niece (Montanan by birth) visited us on break from University of Chicago, and she said that she was having a hard time meeting people there, that she felt lonely. While I was teaching her to play cribbage, I asked if there were clubs for people who like to play cards because surely she could meet real people there. Last I heard, she had indeed found a group to play cards with, and then Covid happened. She is now at home in Great Falls again, doing online learning. But I hope she's maintaining friendships with the card players, somehow.
Did well to get there. Such a great conversation. Lovely essay too
"Stay safe" is the new Hello... and Dude, lolz. ;)