I often relate Father Time to the person who first came up with this concept of seconds and minutes marching steadily to plot your life. The Hunger Games fans will probably immediately visualise the arena, in Catching Fire (Book 2) which is marked like a clock, with each hourly section housing its own deathly peril. Suzanne Collins did something really smart there (even though I think the first book was far better), in the depiction of Time as a killer, something the Hunger Games contestants need to stay ahead of.
It's something many of us can all relate to, this pressing need to keep up, know more, not miss out. Isn't it ironic that in an age when most of us are living with more conveniences than we could have probably dreamed up, we are more stressed out and burned out than ever before? Time is today more elusive than ever, even when we have all the time-saving and doing-the-job-for-us gizmos our parents and grandparents could have scarcely imagined just a few short decades ago.
It would be simplistic to point fingers at smartphones, the widespread use of the Internet or social media, and say, 'hey, there's the culprit!' Puts in mind the quote about pointing a finger at someone, and having three fingers pointing right back at you! Humans are so quick to absolve themselves of responsibility and blame anything else for their lack of progress/happiness/contentment that I often wonder why God chose this species to confer higher understanding on. Today we are no longer using the tools (social media, smartphones, TV, whatever else); the tools are abusing us and we are happy to be their slaves. And we coolly advertise our addiction too, like for instance, #FOMO. Gee, that's so cool! Quite a few celebrity-related accounts I checked out on Instagram have proudly put up posts advertising their #FOMO, Fear of Missing Out for the uninitiated, as a happy-to-be-guilty-of-this trait.
All you are missing out on is life, yours to be specific. I was pretty happy to chance upon #FOMO's nemesis, #JOMO which is the Joy of Missing Out. It's ok if you don't know what your favourite star wore to every cash-rich advertiser's event, it's totally cool even if you are not able to like every status update posted by all 1,178 of your friends and you will still be breathing if you haven't clicked 8 selfies today and updated the world about every single 'fab' thing you've done, like eating, drinking, hanging out, more eating, drinking, hanging out...
Don't bring out the brickbats yet; I'm no killjoy and I am pretty much active on social media. But now that Facebook brings up all your long-forgotten memories, I realise how much time I wasted by posting inane updates on Facebook (examples are Sumi is thinking, ...is wondering what to do, ....is so excited and raring to go!) and, dear Lord, 'farming' (Isn't Farmville around these days? Was it killed by Candy Crush?). Now that I'm finally writing (short stories and getting on with that novel I always wanted to write), I think back and realise I would have been way ahead of the game if I had started back then!
What I am advocating is moderation, to live this life grateful for the breaths you take, savouring the food you eat, playing with the children, the cat, the sunlight, whatever catches your fancy, finding your passion... actually being in the moment rather than being a hanger-on in someone else's online world. Yes, I am arguing for real life, which, if you try it, will give you a greater high than any kind of virtual reality. I am not pitching for the eschewing of one for the other but for a kind of wholesome inclusiveness and a balance that keeps your life dynamic, as it is meant to be. Let me leave you with these beautiful words by George du Maurier:
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| #FOMO keeping you on the phone? Take a break! |
All you are missing out on is life, yours to be specific. I was pretty happy to chance upon #FOMO's nemesis, #JOMO which is the Joy of Missing Out. It's ok if you don't know what your favourite star wore to every cash-rich advertiser's event, it's totally cool even if you are not able to like every status update posted by all 1,178 of your friends and you will still be breathing if you haven't clicked 8 selfies today and updated the world about every single 'fab' thing you've done, like eating, drinking, hanging out, more eating, drinking, hanging out...
Don't bring out the brickbats yet; I'm no killjoy and I am pretty much active on social media. But now that Facebook brings up all your long-forgotten memories, I realise how much time I wasted by posting inane updates on Facebook (examples are Sumi is thinking, ...is wondering what to do, ....is so excited and raring to go!) and, dear Lord, 'farming' (Isn't Farmville around these days? Was it killed by Candy Crush?). Now that I'm finally writing (short stories and getting on with that novel I always wanted to write), I think back and realise I would have been way ahead of the game if I had started back then!
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| Go find your rainbow! |
What I am advocating is moderation, to live this life grateful for the breaths you take, savouring the food you eat, playing with the children, the cat, the sunlight, whatever catches your fancy, finding your passion... actually being in the moment rather than being a hanger-on in someone else's online world. Yes, I am arguing for real life, which, if you try it, will give you a greater high than any kind of virtual reality. I am not pitching for the eschewing of one for the other but for a kind of wholesome inclusiveness and a balance that keeps your life dynamic, as it is meant to be. Let me leave you with these beautiful words by George du Maurier:
A little work, a little gay
To keep us going—and so good-day!
A little warmth, a little light
Of love’s bestowing—and so, good-night.
A little fun, to match the sorrow
Of each day’s growing—and so, good-morrow!
A little trust that when we die
We reap our sowing—and so—good-bye!
