Everyday we read how the world is flat, that we are all connected, that it is so easy to stay in touch with your friends and family through Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, You Tube, Flickr, e-mail, text messages etc.  We need some reality here.  The world has never been more disconnected than it is today!

Don’t get me wrong; I love technology.  But we have replaced real people relationships with real time technology posts about us.  We have moved from a “we” society to a “me” society.  No wonder we have all of the ethical, integrity, leadership and lack of trust issues in our society.

We have become a back yard society, one that no longer spends any time sitting on the front porch taking care of each other, looking after the kids in the neighborhood, relating in a real way; like having a face to face, eye to eye real conversation with someone about a topic you both care about.  Think about it.  Everyday we are now moving so fast just to keep up with all of these alleged “discussions’ and ‘conversations’.  We are not keeping up, we are treading water.  We have become a society of sound bites; formulating our opinions rapidly because we have to formulate the next opinion about something new in the next six seconds.

When I was growing up people cared.  We lived in towns with friends and family that cared about you, unconditionally.  Parents knew all of the other parents because many of them went to school together.  As a child, when you went out to play, all of the parents (who were front porch people), took an interest in what you were doing, making sure that you were safe.  We all grew up together and we knew that if you ever needed anyone, they would all be there for you, to help you through the good times and the bad.  You spent time with multiple generations and multiple ethnicities, learning from the people that lived it everyday.

Not only has this significantly impacted our generation, but this will continue to impact all future generations because it is now the norm.  Our children go away to college, because supposedly this helps them to grow, experience life and become adults.  Why on earth do we as parents support this?  My daughter is away at college ; I wish she were home.  She could get a more holistic education locally, by remaining engaged with her family, supporting the local community, experiencing life, volunteering, getting involved in many more important activities.

We have lost sight of what is truly important – being connected with people who really care about us and learning from their incredible wisdom and experience.  As we enter the holiday season, find the time to reconnect with the people who love you; the people that really know you; the people that made a difference in your life; the people that have always been there for you.

Sit on the front porch.  Say hello to people walking by.  Connect in a meaningful way.  And turn your phones and computers off!!

If you like this blog, please let me know by providing feedback below.  If you have any topics you would like for me to cover, just let me know.

Webman