Surprise Me. I Dare You.

Do you ever feel like technology is taking all of the romance out of our lives?  Not just in the classical boy-meets-girl sense, but in our every day goings on?  Sometimes I really crave cosmic interference, which is arguably the worst thing technology has robbed us of. 

Are we eradicating the chance encounter, a surprise, wondering, and random coincidence?

Where has all the serendipity gone?

Remember when we were younger.... You would be driving down the street with the radio on, poring over a recent conflict or impasse.  Suddenly THAT song came on the radio and a flood of emotion and memory would pour into your being and overwhelm your state.  It was definitely a sign.  That silly song, playing at THAT MOMENT made you think that somehow God knew you needed to hear it.  

...Nowadays, I can hear whatever song I want whenever I want, at the touch of a screen.  Hearing it at that moment doesn't mean a thing; except that I have to take responsibility for my music tastes. 

Remember when you would run into someone you didn't even know was in town... and end up spending a day together?

.... Nowadays, I can see where my friends have eaten, what they have seen, and what they thought about it, in live time.  I know where everyone lives and when they go somewhere.  

Remember when you would lay about in your backyard with friends, wondering why the sky was blue or grass was green, where the phrase "Okay" came from?

......Nowadays, as soon as a question pops into my mind, I have the ability to know the answer.  Google doesn't make me think about it. 

With the advent of the smartphone, comes the departure of speculation.  

While I was among the first to run to the Apple store for access to the interweb at the touch of a screen, sometimes I really crave powerlessness.  I forget what it's like to be at the mercy of the universe, and to live life trusting that all things even out and that kindred spirits will meet again.  It seems like my iPhone keeps me connected to the all of the world, but really connected with no one.  It seems like I can barely remember the last time life threw me for a real loop and all I could do was ride it out.  Nowadays, I have entirely too much control.

Allen Stone wrote a great song about this generational epidemic:

"Whatever keeps you occupied,

whatever gives you contact high.

Whatever keeps you busy, baby

....will never make you satisfied. "