Connectedness

The phone rings. I answer it. Two people talk with each other and life goes on. An email chirps its presence and communication is shared. News is shared on the internet and Google searches begin explorating various topics. Our communication devices are marvels and we use them constantly 24/7/365. Without thinking about it. We connect with each other, organizations, businesses, government, whatever. We are linked to the world and it to us.


Until it isn’t. Connected, that is.


When the internet connection goes down, we quickly learn how helpless we are.


I’ve learned to replace computer connections with my smartphone. It receives email traffic and can do Google searches, get internet news and other benefits of connectedness. The images are small, of course, but at least the flow of information goes on.  


Just because I’m not connected by computer doesn’t mean the world stops. Knowing that frustrates me.  Here I am ready to participate but unable because something has barred me. The phone only goes so far.


A few weeks ago, I was having computer problems. I met a client at the local library and connected my laptop to its Wi-Fi server. Pow! The computer came alive and I suddenly knew that my computer wasn’t the culprit, my internet connection was. I called my provider and they uncovered their own engineering problem. It took several visits, but they finally restored our service.


Our server provides both Wi-Fi, Internet and cable TV. We thought the problem was cable TV. Instead it was their entire network. Once that was known, they could repair it.


Today we awoke to no internet connection. We patched things through the phone's Hot Spot feature. Today's work can progress. So what's the problem? Internet? Provider? Computer? What? [It turned out to be provider network issues they restored in three hours.]


All I know is my brain is not connected to others. The brain still operates. Without a connecting link, that means very little. Just like a stroke victim locked in his silent tomb.

Connections do matter.


December 13, 2019