it's a small world after all.

On July 4^th 2007, I was at Sugar House Park watching the fireworks. I was very aware on this night of how much cell phone usage was going on. The sky was lit up with fireworks and the grass was lit up with cell phone back lights. Who were all these people talking to and text messaging? And if it was so important to try and communicate with them during all the loud explosions and excitement and masses of people, then why weren’t they together? The next night I went for a walk in Sugar House. I was walking along 11^th East passing by all the store fronts. I noticed the same thing at Fat’s Grill and Sugar House Coffee. There were a lot of people at both locations, loud music, singing, laughing, yet still there were a lot of people using their cell phones. I sat on a bench outside and watched as several people left the restaurants and came outside to talk on their phones. Again it begged the question, Why aren’t they with these people that are apparently so important that these conversations cant wait?

I haven’t thought about that for a long time, maybe never. But for some reason I woke up this morning thinking about it. It could have been because yesterday I was waiting for an important phone call from China, (with an “i” Kristin and Sam), and I’d had my phone glued to me for about 24 hours. Kristin, Sam and I were at dinner last night and I got up and went to the bathroom, leaving my purse and phone at the table, and during those 5 minutes that I was gone I missed the important phone call. Maybe all those people on the 4^th of July were talking to Chyna. Wait, China. ;)

Anyway, this morning my mind continued to wonder. I thought about all the technology we have and how truly easy it is to communicate with anyone around the world at anytime. We can talk for free through Goggle Talk, AOL IM, ICQ, MSN, Y! Messenger, Skype, and I’m sure there are others. We can text, and send pictures and videos from our phones to anyone from anywhere. We can see each other while we talk through web cams, and we can access the internet from our ipods and cell phones from all over the world. And we can receive emails in seconds. This technology thing is really taking off! For a minute it all kinda makes the world feel just a little bit smaller. But then I think about places I wish I could be and people I wish I could see and I’m once again reminded that the world is oh so gigantic.

Now this song is stuck in my head:

It's a world of laughter
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all

There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all.