I was sitting in Starbucks having a cup of coffee and studying yesterday and the place was packed. Usually on Wednesday mornings there are steady streams of people coming and going but this was different. Every table, every seat, every counter was occupied. In talking with the manager and just listening to people as they stood in line, the story came more into focus: not only were these people without power, but several other Starbucks and coffee shops were also and people were looking for someplace to work, recharge batteries, and stay warm. So I formulated a plan to open up the café in the church, serve coffee and muffins and make our WiFi, heat, and electrical outlets available to anyone who wanted to come by, logged on to Facebook and posted a message that we were open.
This story isn’t about opening up the church though. I did all this in a city where many were without power and cable/home internet. And the message still got out. In fact it wasn’t until late last night that it even occurred to me that some people might not get it until their power was back on. Sure, that was probably an oversight on my part, but just a minor one. Most people did see it. Or could have seen it. We live in a world now in which we are so connected, where information is so easily attainable that downed power and cable lines barely cause a blip on the radar. More and more people are updating statuses, getting their news, submitting assignments from their phone or fancy tablet that fits in super cool backpacks.
The opportunity to connect has never been greater, and that’s a good thing. But not always. Let’s not let the convenience of accessibility and connectedness ever totally replace a phone call or even better, sitting across a table from one another over a cup of coffee.
How has increased "connectivity" helped you? What are the potential dangers for you?
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