Interruptus
In some ways we’re wired like a computer. We receive “interrupt signals” informing us that something is demanding attention. We have similar choices about how to respond, like pausing the “program” we’re running or to ignore the signal.
While hardware interrupts are hard to ignore, software ones are subtle and insidious. Appropriately, they’re also called “a trap.” Our busy doing-and-thinking self is interrupted and trapped a lot of the time, which is easy considering the 90,000 thoughts we reportedly have each day!
Is it a cosmic joke that the faulty wiring we have on the “ignore signal” response is being rapidly corroded by technology? We need not retreat in helpless surrender to “The Technology Entrapment” trend. So what if 2,500 Twitter followers expect a continuous stream of tweets and people know you have an iPhone and therefore can respond instantly to email or that Facebook friends would suffer if they didn’t know you just ate curry?
These interruptions trap us in a sense of belonging and relationship. The desires and fears surrounding these two dominant human needs are insatiable—hence the strong pull of the “technology drip.” Paradoxically, the power of the anytime-anywhere digital party line to connect human dots also has the power to disconnect our inner dots!
The core of our very being lies beyond our doing-thinking “little me.” Even without the seduction of technology we easily fall into forgetfulness and neglect our sacred coming-home place. Technology has teamed up with the relentless mind and tyrant ego to keep us from going places where they are not welcome.
The challenge we face is not to let the technologies of today and tomorrow rob us of the opportunities to be fully present and connect to our essence. A far greater challenge for us, however, is not to rob ourselves of this either!
It’s still early days—we haven’t yet grown digital legs and our minds haven’t found technology filters. In the meantime put down your iPad and just “be.” Be still and fully present in this moment!