We are such a technologically advanced society that it behooves us to take note where we are losing ground with our humanity. If you can take a moment and take a look at your yesterday and count how many people you spoke with on the phone vs texting, sat with and raised a problem and set out to solve it at a table. For some of you who are in hospital environments, or office settings where care is rendered, how many people served were given the time to have a question asked and an answer rendered.

Unfortunately, we have become very technologic finite and production focused oriented in our interactions. Every aspect of our service industry has shortchanged our human nature and interactions replacing personal attention with machines and rote answers.

Some questions that raise the question to how good we are doing as human beings interacting with others you might entertain:

• Did you notice the expression on the person’s face when you finished your business with them?
• Did anyone acknowledge your presence when you were standing there waiting for some time to get waited on?
• When you complained about an ailment to your practitioner, did they explore it in detail or give cursory attention to the complaint? Was it followed up by anyone? Did you feel heard? Understood?
• When was the last time someone said ‘have a good day” to you? Or, you to someone?

And yet, an emoji, text o Facebook post will communicate faster and more emotional detail of your messages more than your human expression. Why?

Ever wonder what are the implications of this approach to communication and interaction for our future and our culture if this progresses and interactions cannot be understood with a conversation, discussion, and connection? How do we deal with anxiety, depression, helping someone learn some new musical technique? What about helping someone deal with the death of a loved one, or raising a child while balancing work, home and schoolwork?

We need to “stop and smell the roses” or at least “stop and take a breath”. Reach out and touch someone we love and feel their energy. Talk to someone who needs hope, touch someone with the intention to heal or sooth pain.

We have come so far and have the potential to lose so much…. It’s time to think and talk a bit with your neighbor, partner, friend. Once time passes, and we are no longer in the present moment, we cannot replace this opportunity. Remember the lyric, “slow down, you move too fast…got to let the morning last…”, maybe its time to embrace this idea and try to sit still and be present for yourself and others around you.

I challenge you to try this for a day. 24 hours. Reflect on the outcome, and maybe try it again, and again. You may change or the world may look different to you after a little bit of observation and presence.

Nameste.