Technical Difficulties .... in the Pursuit of Happiness

It appears that happiness is becoming more and more of an elusive concept these days …. with technology’s current domination, we have become spoiled – even addicted – to having unlimited access to information, communication and the storage of all our pertinent data on a device small enough to hold in our hands. What can’t be stored there is off floating somewhere in cyberspace in something eloquently titled a ‘cloud’ only not the kinds that tend to determine approaching weather patterns. Thus life for the vast majority of us is played out at warp speed whereupon our own personal expectations seldom actually line up with the demands and expectancies of others whose lives we interact with on a daily basis. Whether personal or professional – everyone seems to want too much from us these days.

It’s no wonder why there’s so much disenchantment in the world. As one’s dependency on any addiction tends to escalate over the course of time, we find ourselves almost resentful of the multitude of needs, wants and desires that often go unfulfilled …. Why didn’t you call if you were going to be working late? Why wasn’t I copied on that memo? I expected that report last week! Why didn’t you return my text? The multiplicity of questions that beg answers from each and every one of us on a daily basis seems never ending, and with so much pressure constantly weighing us down, it’s almost impossible some days to experience any real contentment for any sustained length of time.

The way I see it, the problem with our continuing struggle for ‘connectivity’ more often than not undermines our ‘interconnectedness’ as human beings. As we continuously search for attention-grabbing photo ops to post on Facebook and Instagram then go on to try and think of something witty and concise to relate in 140 characters or less on Twitter in order to serve as documentation for a perceived interesting life, we have almost forgotten how to relate to one another in much more personal and meaningful fashion designed to build trust, fidelity and loyalty within our most important relationships. Thus as we continue to struggle to assert our strength and independence through the misuse of our various technical devices, we risk losing touch with an ever-present reality intended to enrich the very fabric of our lives.

Sometimes a ‘pat on the back’ for a job well done needs to be just that …. an actual pat from one hand strategically placed on the shoulder blade of another combined with a genuine expression of gratitude, and sometimes working late should not be considered an option when there’s someone else waiting at home who would give her world just to see you walk through the door. Oftentimes making an actual appearance has the power to accomplish ten times what otherwise might have been effectively ‘phoned-in’. It’s been my experience that more and more people are hungry – perhaps even starving at this point – for the kind of close, intimate interactions they once knew as a child and often cling to in the form of seeking nostalgia whenever possible.

I realize in many ways I’m ‘outdated’. Trying to come to grips with a world run by technology and those who actually understand it, I still tend to do most of my writing with pencil and paper, just like as a designer I preferred my hand-drawings as opposed to slick, impressive AutoCAD produced sets. It was my art, and I was proud of it. Like a sculptor who works with clay, I still feel the need to get my hands a little dirty when trying to lose myself within the creative process …. at least before I transfer it all into a Word document so that it can be posted online.

In this regard, technology is a wonderful thing, as it enables each of us to reach out to people in ways we would never have opportunity to do otherwise, and when that same opportunity is withheld, even a neophyte like me can go stark, raving mad in the process. Case in point …. yesterday afternoon for no apparent reason I lost my Wi-Fi. Two and one half grueling hours later, with the help of a wonderfully patient, English-speaking tech advisor, it was back up and running. Although elated, I was also completely wiped out – both mentally and physically – wondering to myself the whole time, “Who gets this stuff?” Thus the concept of ‘easy’ relates much better in the mind of one who’s hard-wired much differently than me.

In the end, no matter how many cool, hip devices we manage to accumulate while laying down countless hard-earned dollars in the name of remaining current, we best remember within our respective pursuits of happiness we will never be able to replace the impact naturally embedded in simple human contact. Despite an ever-changing world that constantly taxes all of our brains it is the one thing that cannot otherwise be duplicated, because it is simply irreplaceable.

…. Putting Technology in its Proper Place ….