PSA - The Era of Self Absorption

Ramblings Post #99
I've begun to wonder about the universe, why it's here, who made it, if they're happy with their creation, if they kept the receipt. It's a funny world, with a funny way of looking of things, and everyday it gets maybe a little funnier. One day I hope I'll get the joke.

Thank God I for the most part write the blog as a form of personal therapy, by putting virtual pen to virtual paper and giving non real concrete terms to only mental envisions, because in this age this new age, this "age of self absorption" nobody is watching. If I was hoping for a crowd, I'd be halfway through the sheet cake, have downed all the brown liquor and feeling a little guilty.

There was a time I guess, where there fewer places to focus our attentions. When I was kid, deep down in the country we had five channels. One was public broadcasting, another the Christian channel, and of course the three major networks. That was it. And in the era, when someone spoke people listened because they had no choice really. It was this or nothing.

Cable was the first crack in the dam.

When we first got cable, I marveled, yes, marveled at the channels available. We had a box that sat on top of the TV in the living room, with switches on the top and dial on the side for fine tuning. And it was amazing. But what it did was make us all stop watching the same shows. I remember I heard on TV once, when a character from the country lamented she wouldn't fit in with more urban students at her new college, whereupon her brother quipped "You know them, you were all raised by the same television." Alas, that was no more.

I remember watching MTV, waiting for the one rap video that they would play in the hour. But the watch it, I had to sit through the rock groups, the power ballads and other things...all of which I grew to appreciate over time. It broadened me to a great degree. Even if I didn't like the band, I could explain why. Because of the format, you ended up listening to and sometimes even appreciating a little bit of everything. Today, there are channels or at least shows which only play only urban music, or only country music, or whatever special genre they can get away with, which I think harms the minds of kids who are missing something common upon which they can go forth and build an understanding.

The internet wrecked the dam and still ravaging the countryside, drowning us all in self absorption and the idea that we are somehow all important.

Think Twitter.

I mean really, what I'm doing all day, in 140 character bursts? Really?

This page is linked to my Facebook, and yet I doubt five of my "Facebook friends" have been here. I joined a little blogging forum, Blog-catalog, and most of the posts I get there...no wait, let me rephrase....95% of the posts I get from there are people busy trying to drive viewers to their sites. There is no: let me see what you have and if it looks interesting I'll follow. Its usually "I looked at your blog" of which there is NEVER any evidence, and a quick jump back to themselves. I realize I'm not discussing politics or sex - the two big topics of, well, always, but I thought my story might pique someone's interest. Maybe. [ In the interest of full disclosure, I personally follow a blog chronicling the tales of a young girl from NY, one that covered the first 100 days of marriage until it ended, and one other one - but she's been posting infrequently lately. And I post comments! ] Everyone on the internet is starring in the movie of their life, and don't have time to watch yours.

Which is kinda sad.

It sounds kinda sappy, but I think the world would be a better place if we all stopped being so self absorbed and paid attention to other people for like 15 minutes a day. Or a week. Try a week first.

Barkeep - I've gone through all the brown, what you got in a red wine?