By: Irene M. Slusher
In his experiment McKibben in “The Age of Missing Information”, chose to experience two different journeys. The journey exploring information he obtained through technology provided him interesting insights. However, he was able to access so much information it seemed to impede his ability to fully understand things while painting a type of unreality. In my journey hour through technology, I experienced a similar overwhelming influx of information. YouTube tempted me with videos about the war/”exit from war August 2021”-war in Afghanistan,. So many killed senselessly, reminding me of Hitler’s strategy of tyranny over human beings. There were so many videos it was too much. I turned to prayer videos to find some sense of hope in this hopeless world situation. I spent some time viewing videos of friends and their lives unfolding. That was more uplifting and inspiring. It is good that I can choose what I view and strengthen my spirit with positive news instead of only viewing bad news. I mean, it is important to know the reality of the world situation, but you need some rest in between all the bad news. I switched to my email and getting caught up there. A lot of spam mail, though. I checked in with GMU for mail and class homework requirements. That needs to be done often. The hour goes by too quickly and I am tired of sitting. I need to get moving.
McKibben chose to experience a day and a night on a mountaintop and discovered a nature that is remote but beautiful. Nature, to his eyes, is not something man can switch on or off or scroll through; nature is simply there. I did not have the capability to spend my hour in nature on a mountaintop, or, my preference, a sandy beach. However, my nature journey was in a beautiful garden of butterfly bushes, roses, rose of Sharon, impatiens and pink abelia. The butterflies were presenting a colorful display of graceful, enchanting dances between the abelia, impatiens, butterfly bushes roses and rose of Sharon. It was an experience of peacefulness and realization that beautiful things exist for us to enjoy in their season. This was late summer, so it was also quite warm outside. Even the birds were unusually friendly today. All kinds of birds were making themselves known by their chatter and songs. There were even little brown wrens perching on tree branches nearby in inquisitive poses as if they needed advice on how to stay cool in the heat. I even got the occasional visit from the hummingbirds who make it back to this garden every year. I was enthralled by all of nature that was presented before me, but naggingly reminded that some hikers were found dead, probably from heat exhaustion, because the climate is gradually getting hotter. Sometimes I think we are like the frog in the pan of hot water who will not realize he is in trouble from the heat until it is too late. Today, however, I am hoping for it to start to cool off a little. I wasn’t stung by wasps this time, and for this I was thankful. However, after I had been out for the hour, I realized I had forgotten mosquito repellant and was being swarmed by small mosquitoes, which turned my excursion into a swatting battle to keep them off me. I must keep moving to avoid their being able to land on me and bite. Time for my hour in nature to come to an end.
I enjoy both technology and nature. However, it is true that each journey has its time limits as to how much time I can comfortably spend in doing each. You have heard the adage, “Too much of a good thing.” Well, that is true for technology and for nature.