Sitting outside is a luxury that I haven't enjoyed for quite awhile—I'm so busy with college that I hardly have the spare time—and as I relax, I take in all the sights and sounds and smells. The birds sing to each other from across the lake even though it is long after sun down, buds give way to new leaves on every tree limb, and there's that smell of blooming flowers lingering in the air. Even the growing swarm of mosquitoes and gnats around my head is hard not to notice.
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| A view of Westhampton Lake |
It's difficult to think that most of us give up scenes like the one around me on a daily basis to spend time in online games, texting friends, and surfing the web. What makes those activities so much better than say watching ducks on the lake? Honestly, save the social aspect and the 'it's just fun' response, I don't have a clue. I mean the real world is even more stimulating than its virtual counterpart (all 5 senses versus sight and hearing from the virtual). And while I admit to having those moments where I'll spend several minutes staring at my cell phone, I'm surprised that more people don't enjoy the world around them.
For those of you who haven't heard, the spring semester is over within the next two weeks, making this my last post. So, I would like to say that even though it required I get up at 8:30 every Monday and Wednesday, I greatly enjoyed our class. When I signed up last fall, I expected to only discuss technological advancement and how it has brought us to where we are today. Sure, we covered that, but we also went into topics like the cyberpunk culture, and the economy behind these worlds. I have learned more than I would have ever expected, and had a heck of a time doing it, and personally I wouldn't change a thing.
As I look up, the stars are beginning to peek through the night sky. I glance around and stand up with a yawn, brushing the dirt off the back of my pants—in a world where the majority of our lives are spent indoors and online, having dust on the back of my pants reminds me that I'm still in the real world. I walk away from the lake refreshed from my small break away from everything else, and head back to my dorm room, lit cell phone in hand.
No worries about that cell phone. Just don't forget to look up from it. If the class did nothing else, I hope it showed us both the wonders and limits of our culture of constant connection.
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