Intense conversations this morning, my last full day of this visit to Scotland. As I toyed with extending my trip and realized that doing so wasn't as feasible this time as it was the last, my head ranged all over with what we had accomplished in this three weeks.
One of the biggest fascinations was in realizing that through the still - miraculous - to me gift of this Apple technology, Alix and I had even met, connecting so deeply through the iChat phenomenon that she felt like my dear friend before I actually ever met her in person.
The amazing, yet now "normal" gift of modern flight made my coming to Scotland possible. It's another technological marvel that we take so for granted, yet without it we never would have considered traversing what would otherwise be such a huge distance .
Our perceived differences in locations, society, upbringing, accents, all increasingly fell away as we discovered shared passions, humour, goals and an eerily similar ideology that superseded all of the little contrasts in our lives. It had begun online and accelerated as we shared 'real-time' experiences.... yet those on line were equally intense! We marvel at the equally miraculous gift of connecting at all, 3333 miles apart. We love comparing what differences in words and habits we do have and enjoying our similarities more each day.
It consistently has us shaking our heads at the kismet of it all, and wanting everyone to share in how absolutely amazing and special an adventure it continues to be.
A most potent piece of this visit was our time in Belfast. It made a huge impression on all of us for many reasons. Symbols everywhere of of the past unrest were poignant reminders of how important it is for us all to see more of our similarities. I am haunted by the visuals of pried - open rusty walls, that had shut whole neighborhoods in tightly against the night. We want to be a part of fostering understanding and ensuring they are not needed again.... anywhere.
We want to see our lives as joined rather than different and apart. We communicate intensely, honestly and feel it is the way to heal breaches. Better yet, it helps to avoid the misunderstandings and life-spaces that allow them in to start with.
After our time in Belfast, we feel as though we want to spread the intense energy and potential of this lovely technological path for inter-relating and joining even more, and to more and more people. iChatting is so easy with the Mac and really very accessible for people of all ages, nationalities, and ideologies.We watch in wonder as our kids constantly text message to connect... yet here is an expanded method that can reach so far into connecting us globally on a one- to -one, very personal level. It's potential hasn't even been touched.
The human development and potential movement is our joint love. There is immense, inherently felt joy for us, in knowing that we can use technology to help bring change not only to businesses but on an intensely personal level to the people that businesses are made up of.
We can address and at least start to lessen what is truly an illusion that does not serve us well... feelings of distance, fear and alienation. Loneliness for ones we love and those we have yet to meet can fade into the warm energy of close interactions though hundreds of miles apart physically.
The ability to connect in this way can help emotions of unrest blend into the sweet familiarity bred of visually sharing life's day to day little intimacies. Enjoying a meal via online video-chat can allow us to see our similarities and common humanity.... even comparing the differences in what we are eating becomes a joy and thing of wonder... and often laughter! We want to be apart of not only keeping the walls open that enclosed parts of Belfast, but to help ensure they are never needed anywhere, one person at a time.
We know we are sounding a bit like zealots or missionaries... Connecting people is indeed our passion and mission, so yes, I/we are off to share more laughter, stories, and experiences of the delights these wonderful computers allow into our reality.
Please share yours with us too.. we love to hear from you!
We don't believe in Miracles... we create them.