Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Stop. Take a moment, and appreciate the amazing!

The pace of life on our tiny planet seems to quicken every day. New technologies are constantly being developed that dramatically change our lives, sometimes for the worse, mostly for the better (I hope)! I read an article the other day about new 'spinal cord stimulation' technology that is helping paralyzed people move their limbs again. That sounds pretty amazing to me! What a miracle that will be when they perfect it.

It's incredible the conveniences we have right at our fingertips.  I was sitting on the couch last night and felt a buzz in my pocket. I pulled out my phone and noticed a new text message. I replied to the message with very little effort. Later, I checked my email, browsed Facebook, transferred some money, read a blog post, then pulled up my security camera feed to see if the noise I heard outside was my son pulling into the driveway. All this from my couch...in a few minutes...with a device that fits nicely in my pocket. It gets better! I can also use that device to take high-quality digital photos (and video), edit the photos, and send them instantly across the world through any number of mediums. I can read and watch the news from thousands of sources. I can control my TV using the phone as the remote. I can stream music throughout my house, play any number of video games, write an article and post it to a blog. I can use it as a flashlight, to let the NSA know where I am and what I'm doing at all times, and to look up detailed repair instructions when the car breaks down. I can read any book I choose, watch TV shows, movies or YouTube videos on demand. I can purchase clothing, food, tools or other items, or use it as a magnifying glass.  All this and so much more...from about any location I may be in (including the bathroom)!
To top it off,  I can also use my phone to make...TELEPHONE CALLS! Yes, I can talk to people all over the world instantly, even video chat with them.  Is this not just flat out amazing?  I think it's incredible!

I took a moment a tried to comprehend how amazing this one little device was.  It got me thinking about how ungrateful I am at times, in spite of all the good things I have. The text I received was about a flight cancellation. What a darn inconvenience! What possible excuse could the airline have for such an outrage?!  It made me think of a segment from The Conan O'Brien Show I saw a few years ago that perfectly illustrated how amazing our lives are, and how quick we forget it...because we're ungrateful and impatient. Take a look, it's pretty good!



Slow down every now and then and be grateful for what you have.  You live in amazing times! Smart phones are pretty cool, but are they really the greatest invention? I don't think so. If you had to choose between a smart phone or toilet paper, what would it be? Choose wisely my friends!
I've made my choice

No comments:

Post a Comment