Sense of Wonder
SENSE OF WONDER n. a feeling of awakening or awe triggered by an expansion of one’s awareness of what is possible or by confrontation with the vastness of space and time, as brought on by reading science fiction. Wikipedia
I went camping on the Texas coast in Goose Island State Park near Rockport, Texas. I have like to kayak in the Texas flats (marsh) and fly fish for Redfish.
Typical day is fish all day. Eat. Sit and stare at the stars.
Most times I camp and fish by myself but this time my friend Chris came along for the ride. He is a better fisherman than I am.
He knows of my anti smart phone stance.
I like to sit and stare at the stars. I was sitting thinking about of all of the people before me that sat and looked at the same stars in the night sky. What they thought. How they used the stars for information, even navigation.
As we sat Chris and I were talking and he drawn to picking up his phone to google something we were talking about. Besides the light pollution caused by his phone, it made me realize how the smartphone was stealing the sense of wonder.
Sure Google can deliver facts and figures but being inspired by the stars and feeling connection to the past and even the future.
The deeper I go into the damage that smartphones have caused to our culture and minds, it is not just about social media or over use of the phone. It is the fact that in the middle of conversation our instinct is to reach for the phone, instead of allowing our mind to wander and find sense of wonder.
- Not using a smartphone is inconvenient.
- Not using a smartphone is the hard way.
- Not using a smartphone is the better way.
Your Friend
Terry