Keeping it Personal

Connecting in Seattle: Where Two Definitions Collide...
Picture the scene: It's a gorgeous sunny day in Seattle. I'm in a cute funky neighborhood with three of my friends chilling at a cool independent coffee shop (note: I still love Starbucks!).

It had a great vibe--dark wood, open spaces, comfy chairs, outdoor tables (which we picked to take advantage of April sun). It was overflowing with other twentysomething people like us.

But what were they doing? Typing away on laptops (I counted at least 15). Listening to iPods. Reading.

There's nothing wrong with any of the activities I mentioned above...it just seemed totally ironic in a place obviously designed for connection and community for people to be...connected by wires and Internet technology and not to each other. Especially on a sunny Sunday April afternoon.

The weird part? My friends and I were talking and laughing and having a great time. But I almost felt the glares of people who probably thought we were loud and obnoxious. It seemed ironic because we were the ones doing what the whole place was designed for--connecting with each other, having fun and relaxing.

In Praise of the Personal...
I have no problem with technology. But for all it's worth, online "community" seems like a shallow substitute for the real deal. I love that I can connect with my friends around the world online...but they are mostly the friends I've also connected with in person.

It seems sad that for all of the "connections" people in society (or chic indie coffee shops) have, many are missing out on the personal connections of really knowing people, caring for them and growing together in friendship and life.

I guess I hope I can keep up both kinds of connecting--I love that technology keeps me connected to friends thousands of miles away. But there's something powerful about also having real relationships with people who really know me in my day-to-day world. And even though you're reading this online, I bet you probably feel the same...