Life online

Sunday 15th November, 2020

Although I have a silly fear and a real incompetence when it comes to computers and iPads and all the apps available, I do realise their potential. Of course, one could claim that they have potential for both good and evil. Thus we hear of grooming people for terrorism or sexual exploit, we hear of scams and hacking, we hear of abuse and manipulation through the cyber world...indeed there is much political and moral debate about the freedoms of the Internet and the power of the vast companies who control much of it. Sadly not everyone is sufficiently self disciplined or intelligent to be able to control their own moral use of the Internet. Also some countries control access and content and more arguments as to freedom and rights arise. I think of China and North Korea and many other such.

Today I experienced three marvellous introductions to its positive side. First I streamed a Catholic Mass from Canada. The priest gave an excellent sermon on the gospel story of the talents. He hit a nerve for he spoke of a priest friend in a long term care home. This priest had been highly active in ministry, in public life over the media and in many charities and education institutions. Visiting his friend the priest in the home spoke of the path to humility. It was no longer the individual activities and engagements, the talents being personally enacted but it was learning to accept the talent needed at the moment. That talent was the one to accept, to live as part of a community, to know the frustrations of age and senility and physical debility and work with them. "My talent is to live fully as I am".

Then I watched the interview of a man I consider a friend even though I have never met him. He is in fact the nephew of a friend. His name is Daniel Holmes. He is a poet, writer and father, husband and more....he is himself. He spent over ten years in Malta under arrest and in prison for growing five cannabis plants. It is a long story and he has written a book. It will be published tomorrow but today at the Book Festival in Malta he was interviewed on the Internet. I watched it live. I was deeply impressed. I hugely recommend the book ( I think you have to look it up on google as I have forgotten the title...in a cell on a rock in a puddle, was the address he had on his letters ). 

Finally I received an email from a friend who thought I would be interested in ' this young man and his business of socks!' She then gave me this:

https://thomp2.com/about/    So I looked it up on line...fascinating. 

Yes, the computer is a doorway to much. I must stop being so lazy and prejudiced about it. However I do draw the line at the little black machine in the corner of a room. You call out her name, give her a question and she gives the answer. Where are the books? Where is the human touch or am I simply out of date and fashion?

Fortunately I was able to take a walk between rain showers. Again I popped in to the local shop and purchased two avocado pears for 50p and a hummus for 32p. Supper sorted. If I had ordered on line I would not have gotten the bargains! Some value still in shanks pony and shopping in a shop!