It has been quite a while since my first blog. Quite honestly, I don’t think that anyone has been anxiously awaiting my second. From the number of posts I have received in a year and a half, I’m quite certain this blog has yet to go viral. That’s OK. As I said before, this is really a cathartic process for me. This blog may well be my online journal where I can purge my brain of the stresses with which it is struggling.
Like most of us, I have dealing with the daily bombardment of horrific images and dire statistics coming through the TV and my computer. There seems to be nowhere to hide. We have been very successful in using technology to become connected. Although we have all seen the perils of becoming connected to the wrong news, I do believe that there are some benefits to all of this technology.
My wife and I have been using the “Artificial Intelligence” built into our smart device to stay connected with family and friends. We used to use paper and pen or a land-line phone. Now all we have to do is address our smart device, which is constantly at our service by listening into our every conversation, and say “call our son”. It is reassuring to both hear his voice and see his face. I found facial expressions are a far better indicator of emotional status anyway.
For the last couple of days we have been down streaming live concerts from some of our favorite musicians. It is reassuring to see Chris Martin, Dave Matthews and Jake Shimabukuro reach out from their homes and serenade us in our own. It seems that they understand that “social distancing” is an oxymoron. We humans are in fact social animals. Distancing ourselves from each other is inherently against our genetic programming. This is why we are not immune to the stresses caused by the COVID-19 quarantine.
This is a time when we need each other. Yes, I understand the need to remain physically separated, at least for the time being. However, we must reject the tendency to place blame on anyone due to their nationality or political affiliation. If I am not mistaken, this virus has shown no prejudice. This is a human issue. I guess this IS the lesson to be learned here. Whether we are battling a pandemic or global warming, we must put our biases aside and work as one global community.
Unfortunately, I am not a world class musician. Although I am convinced that I can tap a desk, my chest or any surface that possesses the proper resonance better than anyone, my wife is quick to put an end to my percussive aspirations. The good news is that I will not be sharing my unique talent online. What I can do is share with you my images of hope. For the next year I will be sharing both on this blog and on my Instagram account, the images that have most inspired me. At some point, each of these images motivated me to push the shutter and record the moment. Hopefully they will bring you some solace during these trying days.
