BY DOVE
The powers that be can teach our children that there are eight genders but they aren’t teaching our children how to sew on a button, hem a pair of jeans, change a tire on a car or fix a decent balanced meal. They can’t even recognize a carrot or onion growing in a garden let alone know how to plant a garden. Some schools are providing this type of education, practical and usable, but for overall education much of the necessary skills are bypassed in favor of technology.
I understand the rapid expansion of technology changes our world daily, but don’t we have to know how to perform the simple skills of life first, then technology? I would like to know how tearing down a statue from history changes the history. The statue, whether you appreciate what the statue represents, still does not change the past. We learn from the past, either good or bad, but to destroy property and culture takes away from the richness of our life. The destruction of something does not destroy the energy of the event — it only draws attention to anger. What’s even worse is that the anger is not genuine; it has been paid for by outside sources for the sake of destroying our culture and country. I ask, is the anger serving a purpose or is it just a misuse of energy, causing more harm than good? It is destruction for the sake of destruction — senseless. Respect is earned, and at some point in time the person represented by the statue was deserving of respect.
There is not one human on Earth who can say they walked the path and never used energy in a harmful way. We all do. It is part of the journey of being human. Instead, let us focus on the good that each of us brings to the planet. See how you can be of service and forget trying to destroy the past. Have you ever been to a restaurant and there will be four young people sitting at a table, unable to carry on a conversation because they don’t know how? Everyone is on their cellphone, communicating without any personal interaction. That is not living! They might as well be robots because they have not developed the skills to look someone in the eye and be honest. This is where technology is failing us. You text, and you don’t get to hear the inflections in someone’s voice, which is a major part of the communication. Communication by technology is pretty sterile and the benefit that comes from interaction is missing.
I ask, how do we improve our ability to connect? Without connection to other humans, we become lost and isolated. We believe that no one cares. This is one of the major contributors to the suicide rate in our country. Let’s start connecting with one another in whatever way we can.
I greet everyone when I ride my bike on the path. Many ignore me, many cannot hear me because they are plugged in and miss all of the sounds of nature. They also miss when you call out a warning to them that you are on their left, completely oblivious to what is around them. Many also respond with a cheery greeting back. In Austria they have a greeting that people say as they meet you. It is “Gros Got.” It means God’s Greeting. What a lovely custom. Can we all make an effort to connect in the old- fashioned way. You never know when that little bit of energy shared may save a life. “Gros Got” to each of you. Blessing, Dove.