We Are The World

The internet is one step closer to making this world into one big family.  Unfortunately, families, due to the nature of their closeness, can often rub each other the wrong way.  Most of us deal with that in the physical world, because no matter how much Aunt Pearl, or Great Uncle Melvin annoy us, they ARE family.

Of course it is a different story when one of them sets fire to the family attic, or hires a truck to clear out the basement without telling anyone.  No one wants anyone else to come in and mess with our personal stuff.

I need to be sure my purse and bank accounts are up and out of the way of children who might come in and rifle through them. There must be a system in place that slaps the hands of those who reach for these forbidden things.

But on the whole, the internet is the most amazing place for sharing I can imagine.

Everyone can find some like spirit to share with and talk to.  No hobby is too obscure, no subject too outlandish not to be able to find someone else who shares it.  I can compare notes with someone in Scotland.  I can write a story with someone in Louisiana.  I even discover there are people in Russia and India who read my thots. 

I have opportunities my ancestors never dreamed of and they are not limited by differences in place, time, or culture.  I can avoid almost all biases if I choose.  No one needs to know what gender I am, or the color of my skin.  Whether I am full of health or bedridden, it doesn't matter.  It only matters who I am inside, how well I can communicate that.

Education becomes of paramount importance now.  The need to be able to relate my thoughts to another person escalates when that is our only connection, but it is one almost all human beings share.  With today's technology we should be able to reach every single child in some way and make it interesting enough (to them) to keep their attention.

Of course there is room for abuse too.  No matter what goes on in the world, someone can find the dark side.  Sweeping it under the rug only allows the fungus to grow quietly in the corners. Realistic expectations, tolerance and a willingness to live and let live goes a long way towards keeping these things out in the open where they can be dealt with.

On the whole, I think we are finally entering an age where the possibilities are unlimited and magnificent.