91Èȱ¬

Good morning. I’m sure the first sight many of us woke up to this morning was that of our phone screen, or some such device, checking how many friends we still have, the news, or how so-and-so is applying their make-up today.

To make sure we don’t miss out on a cool game, a video about cats, or an email fix we strive to be as connected as possible. It has become a social necessity now, and an industry which is driving commerce, technology, fashion, news, politics, and even power consumption. This is a very recent development but not one that has crept up on us – it’s pounced on us – and people are struggling to keep up. I’m still struggling to use a TV with more than three channels.

I was passing through an American airport a few months ago where I encountered a large restaurant with six TV’s above the bar, all loudly airing different stations. There were four iPads on each table for ordering, and a party of young women sitting at one were all looking at their phones throughout their meal. The whole scene was more electronically connected than personally connected. Little eye contact, monosyllabic responses, distraction from what’s before you.

Later in the trip I floated down the Ichetucknee River, in Florida, with a group of friends. We had hired large rubber tubes and we floated down the lovely Ichetucknee for two hours without phones, PDAs, or computers. It was wonderfully peaceful and as tubes bumped into each other I chatted to my neighbours. I got to know new friends – one to one.

Dear Lord, electronic connections are useful but not always, it seems, to enhance our relationships. There are some things we must do ourselves, things we must do with our heart, and in person. May I make the right connections with the right tools, by your grace. Hare Krishna