Since the start of the year, I believe I have slept more nights in hotels than in my own home. I have also visited more airports then I ever imagined. Though not quite like George Clooney in the movie Up in the Air, I find myself having conversations about air miles, bragging about the advantages of elite status. I am, however, not anywhere near the level of the million mile folks, but have simply spent a lot of time taking short hops to places like Gabriola Island, BC; Cedar Rapids, IA; Essex, MT; Redmond and Lacey, WA; Phoenix, AZ; San Diego, CA. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life. I get to live with Glacier National Park in my backyard, and when I travel I am always with my best friend and partner. Still, this year seems to be ‘flying’ by. It’s already March!
I have heard that the planet is moving faster. Some report that the evolutionary process of humankind will advance in one year (2011-2012), as much as we advanced in the thirteen years prior (1998-2010). I am not really sure what that means, but maybe it has something to do with the iPad2 arriving in less than a year from the release of the original. Personally, I do find things happening at a faster velocity. I can worry myself sick with being unable to keep up; however, the time spent doing that will only result in more time lost.
I recently read that blogs are on the way out. I have only just begun to fully enjoy the process of connecting online. I have yet to have anything go viral or see vast increases in my readership, yet I am very committed to the twenty-some folks who signed on to have my blogs arrive in their inbox. I hope blogging is not soon to be a lost art like letter writing. However, if the predicted velocity timeline holds, it’s possible that blogging will only last a fraction of the time that snail-mail and newspapers had in the way of connecting.
The Dalai Lama gave the best advice recently when asked what surprised him most about life. His answer was: Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.
Maybe he was suggesting that I would be better off not worrying about how fast life is moving—but instead enjoy the moment, whatever version of the iPad I have, wherever I may sleep, and however many readers get to enjoy my post.