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Thursday, 01 May 2008 21:05 |
 Never Alone
Watching the plethora of people passing, mobiles or headsets pressed to ears, I wonder what we are creating. Before mobile phones these people shopped, rode buses, walked along footpaths, drove cars waited on benches, ate in cafes. Period.
Modern men and women and children are constantly connected to someone or something - parents, collegues, buddies, music - if not by phone then by Ipod.
Do todays humans have any idea what it is like to simply be on one’s own. To savour the freedom of non interaction-even for a little while? To experience the atmosphere-colours, shadow, sounds, smells people-undistracted by another’s presence or input? To notice ones thoughts about oneself. Do modern humans retain the capacity to be alone? To be in silence?
Our ancestors knew how to live, work, travel, alone. History is replete with the stories of those adventurers and explorers –both of outer and inner realms- who forged forth without props, companions, or communication with home.
How resourceful would they have been had they grown up relying on the cushion of constant contact? How in touch with their instincts, their abilities, their fears, their dreams. How connected to some sense of the sublime?
In my late teens and early twenties I worked on the Pro Tennis circuit travelling around the world, living in a different hotel fifty weeks a year. In those days the only phone I would have access to was the hotel phone which has always been a very expensive proposition, especially as international calls were still pretty pricey. So I learned the art of letter writing.
I now recognise that my unreachability and sporadic communication probably drove my parents nuts. For me, though, it was a freeing and, I believe, vital initiation for the man I wanted to become. I pressed upon the boundaries of my limitations, encountered and transcended puzzlements, pain and loneliness, recognized my humanity, learned the art of reflection, unearthed hidden capabilities and discovered the strength of my own resilience. Sure it’s comforting for mom to know where six year old Johnny is after school. It’s convenient to phone from the store and make sure we’re buying the right dishwashing powder. These technologies have their place. But do we lose some essential sense of ourselves when we become enmeshed in them?
Most of us would find it difficult to turn the phone off for even a minute; I encourage you to give it a try. I play golf once or twice a week and I find it a pleasure to leave the phone at home. It’s just me, the ball and nature. I gotta tell ya, it is truly sublime. Give it a go, you’ll love it.
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