Linked

In today's modern world we are surrounded by technology pretty much 24/7. We use phones, computers, machines, cars, and all kinds of fancy gadgets that make our lives easier. For the most part I don't mind all the technology. My washing machine washes clothes in a fraction of the time of hand washing. My GPS on my phone makes it simple to get just about anywhere. The internet has news and answers to thousands of burning questions.

The thing that I don't like about all this technology is how everything somehow becomes linked, and for the life of you, you can't break or change these links. Your phone is linked to your computer, which is linked to your t.v., which is linked to you car, which is linked to your refrigerator (seriously), which is linked to your tablet, which is linked to your laptop, which is linked to the internet, which is linked to every online account you have ever created, which is link to EVERYTHING IN THE WHOLE WORLD! Ok so maybe not that far. But these links can become troublesome at times.

For one thing, because of these links, when I take a picture on my phone, it automatically knows when and where the photo was taken. It saves this information along with the actual photo to my phone. But the photo also gets saved to other accounts I may have created like Google Photo. Somehow, I seem to end up with about five different copies of a photo I didn't even like in the first place, and if I delete one copy, you better believe that the other four are still floating around out there to pop up at the most inopportune times.

This doesn't just happen with photos, either. Contacts, e-mail addresses, and all kinds of old information seems to get locked in a vault of "Things You Can Never Get Rid Of No Matter How Hard You Try". I have actually had my phone tell me that I can't delete something because it is linked to another account! How crazy is that?! This really messes with my nerves when my anxiety gives me the urge to de-clutter, but my electronics won't allow it.

All these links also make it hard to keep things separate that you want separate. What, you don't want your Facebook linked to your Pinterest, to your Fitbit, to your Instagram, to your e-mail, to your phone? Too bad! It automatically linked for you, and good luck un-doing that! No one anywhere will be short of information of what you are doing and where you are every second of the day!

I don't mean to sound like a grouchy old woman who wants nothing to do with technology, but sometimes I just get overwhelmed by it and I need my space. I enjoy browsing Pinterest or Facebook as much as the next person, but I don't want my every action to be recorded and shared with the world. I guess there is no getting around it, though. With more convenience comes the price of less privacy and more complications. I suppose all we can do is keep our accounts and our technology usage to a more tolerable level, and when you are feeling exhausted by all of it, maybe unplug and do something more tangible.

You Do

Once in a while I like to go to fancy stores where all the employees have to dress like they are going to the opera, and almost everything is far out of my price range. I like to go to these kinds of stores mostly because they are fun to browse. They have unique and sometimes high-quality things that you can't find anywhere else. Once in a while I will even splurge and buy something from one of these stores.

But when I go to expensive stores, I also often start to wonder what it would be like to have enough money to buy anything, or as many things as I liked from one of those places. What if I could buy the finest of everything? What if I could have all the rooms in my house look like the perfect and beautiful displays in the stores? After thinking about this question for some time, I decided that I wouldn't want to be able to buy everything in an expensive store, and of course I have my reasons.

My first reasoning is that it would be a waste. I have most things I need, and buying more would just be wrong for me and for the planet. I don't need to cause more pollution and waste just so I can have a pretty house. Second of all, if I had that much money, I would want to use it for more productive things, like helping others, trying new experiences, or creating something that will help the world. I'm not entirely sure what that would look like, but if I had the money, I'm sure I would figure it out. I'm not a perfect person, but I definitely wouldn't enjoy keeping all of that kind of money to myself.

My last reason for not wanting the finest of everything is my most important reason. It's a lie. I think if you have so much money that you never have to think about the cost of anything, it is easy to get sucked into your own little world of imported linens, handmade soap, and the best cookware. You start to expect only the best, and you start to forget that there are people who don't even have a toilet or running water. Or at the very least you start to disconnect from how those people might feel. This is dangerous because if we only think of ourselves, we are actually unconsciously destroying ourselves and our world. It may not happen quickly, but if you neglect others it will eventually catch up to you. We are only as strong as our weakest link. If we refuse to share what we have with others, we are only making that weak link weaker.

I know not all rich people are bad and want to hoard their money. But I know that lots of money can often put a strange spell of selfishness and greed over some people. Don't let the money lie to you and tell you that you have everything you need. You need friends more than a new car. You need a planet more than a new house. You need love and understanding in the world more than a diamond ring. Believe me. You do.