In a world of every changing technology, products, and services. Christmas offers a window back to a lifestyle that existed everyday in our yesterdays. This Christmas was a special day for me in many ways. Blessed with gathering of family and friends I took note of one of life’s daily companions that was not present…… Digital Communication.
Christmas was spent in traditional fashion. The kids awakening the parents at early light. The race downstairs to see the tidings that Santa and left. Opening of stockings, large breakfast, and then presents under the tree. The morning filled with laughter, surprises, pictures, conversations, stories of childhoods past, well wishes, and thank you. Each of which contributing to the shared memories and histories that create family legacies.
With my computer off and in my bag, my cell phone off and on the dresser, the telephone on do not disturb; I found myself devoid of rings, beeps, emails, text messages, tweets, and postings. Instead it was filled with human interaction, focusing on smiles across the room instead of a screen a few inches from my nose. My peripheral vision was full of sun light, christmas lights, and beaming lights of children’s faces.
I could recall memories of my own childhood where I would play outdoors. Where the number of gifts were small, but with imagination lead to great adventures. Times spent with face to face with friends where we would spend the days in activity and conversation vs. sitting next to each other texting away. I found myself longing for a time when time was a luxury to be filled with interests desired, not every instant dedicated to serving virtual inboxes and real time expectations.
Certainly technology has brought many new possibilities, capabilities, and ways to expand our lives. The pace of technology has easily stripped pasted all human factors and we have not caught up yet to the social and community impacts of these advances. Certainly, as individuals, we can all set boundaries, but this doesn’t prohibit us from being penalized either personally or professionally from social and work expectations. I look forward to a Christmas where shared societal values are realigned back to a human value based system vs time/economic measures. In this new world we would leverage technology, not because we can, but because it is meaningful and enriching to the lives we live. Life too short and the world too big to only see a few inches to our screens.
Merry Christmas to all and to all LIFE.
David Williams
David MS Blog 
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