Technology isn’t life
One of my artist friends sent me—I think it’s what is now called a “vlog”—this morning that I thought I would transcribe for a column. A rather good-looking young man—no, not my crush—speaks. Let us begin.
The young man says, “I spent an hour at the bank with my dad as he had to transfer some money. I couldn’t resist myself and asked, ‘Dad why don’t we activate your internet banking?’”
“Why would I do that?” he asked.
“Well, then you won’t have to spend an hour here for things like transfers. You can even do your shopping online. Everything will be so easy.” I was so excited about initiating him into the world of net banking. He said, “If I do that I won’t have to step out of the house.”
“Yes, yes,” I said. I told him how everything can be delivered to your door. His answer left me tongue-tied. He said, “Since I entered this bank today I have met four of my friends. I have chatted a while with the staff, who know me very well by now. This is the company that I need. I like to get ready and come to the bank. I have enough time. It is the physical touch that I crave. When I got sick, the storeowner from whom I buy fruits came to see me and sat by my bedside and cried. When your mom fell down a few days back while on her morning walk, our local grocer saw her and immediately got his car to rush her home as he knows where I live. Would I have that human touch if everything became online? Why would I want everything delivered to me and force me to interact with just my computer? I’d like to know the person that I’m dealing with and not just the seller. It creates bonds of relationships. Does Amazon (or Lazada) deliver all this as well? Technology isn’t life. Spend time with people, not with devices.”
He leaves it at that. I’d like to add, “That’s what my 75-year-old dad said.”
I’m teaching writing again. It has been a delightful class of six sessions to teach my 10 students how to write about a lesson they learned from life but I want them to write it not with just their brains but from their hearts. In other words, I draw from the experience I go through writing this column, which is called “From My Heart.”
That’s what my writing classes try to teach my students. I tell them it takes courage to write. If you cannot stand up before another person and admit to being a single mother who had a tough time, then forget about writing.
Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street once sang, “It’s not easy being green…”
My version is, “It isn’t easy teaching people to write how they feel,” because, first, our culture tells us not to say certain things that are true but should never be talked about. Our parents probably also had those values so we are somewhat allowed to write about what we do but not what we feel when we’re doing it, and yet when we stop to really think it’s how we feel that makes a good memory. How you felt about the first guy you fell in love with is impossible to forget. You might have disposed of the fellow soon enough but you never forget about how you felt about him.
That’s what my writing classes try to teach my students. I tell them it takes courage to write. If you cannot stand up before another person and admit to being a single mother who had a tough time, then forget about writing. You know the emoji that has a zipper in its mouth? That’s you. You can’t even breathe properly. You know what happens when you finally have the courage to write your truths? You will find many others in the same boat. They share your lessons. They feel they are not alone. They feel free and liberated because you feel free and liberated. That’s what I try to teach in six lessons.
Now what happens? We advertise my classes on Facebook and people say we must learn to teach on the computer because their mothers, who are in their 70s or 80s, do everything on the computer.
Really? I think they want to take my classes but want to apply the senior rate of their parents to themselves. I am 79 and I like to teach face-to-face because I can see if you’re learning, if you understand what I’m saying, and if you understand what you are doing. There is no better learning than what is taught face-to-face. That way we can read each other better. That way I can listen to you read your work out in class and see and hear your heart.
Did you read what the father of the young man who spoke in this column said? He said, “Technology isn’t life. Spend time with people, not with devices.” That is my philosophy in life. That’s why I write and teach from my heart.