We All Need The Human Touch

Ok this my rant for the day. I am taking a slight study break because of the distraction that walked into the book store where I am trying to revise my dissertation... In this high tech age in which we are supposed to be so connected -- I find it to be the ultimate paradox. By that, I find that we are becoming so technology dependent that somehow, the technology still has yet to prove to be the ultimate icebreaker. I mean lets face it, one would think that in this day and age of the Iphone, the Black/Blue Berry, the instant messaging, twitter, facebook et al, there still is a failure to communicate. For real. You would think that with this -- spy tech-- there I said it, because that what it all boils down to anyway, one would be able to use their PDA-another TLA in the 21st century and be able to to on the low, say hello to that person in the room who is come 40 feet away from you. It was funny because I was trying to look on my trusty I phone for the app that might share with me whom I am in the room with. From there, go go ahead and send a quick shout out well not a shout out but a Lionel Ritchie... But no such luck. That app to my knowledge, does not exist. I could be wrong but I don't think its out there-- Not that I am advocating anyone stepping out of their marriage, cause I think marriage is something that is scarred, spiritual, and of course a legally binding contract. Trust me, I along with a few of my boys walked the last mile. The day I said I do, was the day that my "player credentials" expired. That said, in my season of transition, though I am legally contractually obligated, I ain't blind and truth be know I am not an insensitive one who can simply dismiss nine to ten years intimate feelings I shared and to some degree still share with whom shall remain nameless. See I am exhibiting some type of discretion :). That said, back to the problem, we all need the human touch, especially me. Now before anyone starts going into the depths of their mind which are uninhibited, allow me to clarify my position. The human touch in this case, to me represents at least face to face communication. The nonverbal sub cues that affirm our existence at the same time challenge us to be introspective, reflexive. The human touch comes in many forms, when the tear from one's pain hits the shoulder of someone who is there to care for us or listen. It can come in the form of that dap that brothers give to say "yo dude, I got you." And for the record, brothers we need to dissociate ourselves from this notion not being able to love each other as one loves them-self. I think there's some Christianity rooted in there somewhere. That connectivity that requires us to unplug ourselves from the grid and emote. That place where it's ok to let the defenses down, stop being so damn hard all the damn time. Life is hard enough--I'm not a student of physics, but I do know what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force--you guessed it, in the immortal words of the great philosopher Laurance Teuraud aka MR. T aka Clubber Lang, PAIN! One is headed for a collision, NOT an accident. Not knowing, the position of miss-educated, that's the grounds for an accident. But being hardheaded isn't an accident, it's just being foolish which in turn translates into an ass whipping. So consider yourselves warned. I guess I am learning that lesson day in and day out. Not as a result of my season of transition, but more so just in general. Being "hard" or fronting the "cool pose" sets one up for isolation... This isolation in turn could be the reason why we as a generation have become so technology dependent. No one likes to feel--at least the negative side of emotion, the negative consequence of risk--hence why some of us may rely on tools like facebook or myspace. If I don't like you, I simply unfriend you, which in essence is nothing more than dismissal from one's social network. I'm laughing because I can imagine Robert DeNerio or Joe Peschi hell even Al Pachino saying you unfriended me! Who da-- do you think you talking to. You gona unfriend me! No if you want to unfriend me, you meet me in BLANKING person and unfriend me, you MFer you. -- I am trying hard not to bust out laughing but the concept to me is just unfathomable. We become BFFs in the world of Facebook and then I piss you off and you unfriend me. --I persnally think FaceBook, MySpace and other social networking sites should make their users, who choose to unfriend one of their friends send them a three page letter, certified mail, explaining the reasons why they have chosen to make the decision to "unfriend" somebody. Geesh