The Aurora Borealis is too much Latin for Americans
who look at night-time skies to see what is hidden
from their more southern views.
White supremacy’s bright lights and cloudy skies
hide the natural truths seen by more northern eyes.
War between the two settled nothing it seems, now
when night holds sway for many more hours of our day.
Electricity heats the cold and hides the stars
while we stay locked inside and miss the show
our saving sun puts on display to energize earth
and remind us of its power in such a glorious way.
We miss the full glow our northern neighbors see.
We rejoice just to know such light exists,
even though we block its view with technology.
Safe and warm inside, we simply watch it on T.V.
Even a nine year old describes with solemn glee
one more item is met on his bucket list
as if once is enough to behold one
of the universe’s many mysteries.
We reduce all around us to private lists of goals achieved.
We miss the chance to feel the tiny place we hold
together in the expansive and expanding galaxy.
We need never feel deadened and alone.
With such energy and light our truth is shown.
No reporter nor weatherman on our screen
can reveal the natural world right outside our door
in all its truth and glory, telling us the story
of who we are, who we could become, and how to see
the Northern Lights, which warm the heart
and light the soul, if truth be told.
To see the sight of the Northern Light
we must face the darkness and the cold.
annarino writes 
Selfies? Neither Deep Nor Wide Enough,Louise Annarino,4-21-2014
Selfies? Neither Deep Nor Wide Enough, Louise Annarino,4-21-2014
In my recent blog Love and Transcendence I discussed the lack of self-awareness in the use of social media and technological communication. The need of each human being to be seen by others is profound and absolutely necessary for survival. We have five senses for a reason. We need to see,hear,taste,touch, and smell one another. We use our physical senses to learn, protect ourselves, and build connection in community.
When no one sees us, we may feel blindingly empty, even non-existent. We may feel vulnerable and disconnected. This need to be seen would be better named the need of our self to be known. Perhaps, this is why the “selfie” has become such an iconic part of tech communication. This need to be seen may have given rise to the “selfie”.
Posting photos of the food we eat, the places we travel, the things we do will never be enough to satisfy this need to be known. We need to be seen as deeply and widely as is possible. We need to be known by all human senses. We create an image hoping others will see our self. But, can “selfie’s” meet our need to be known? Already, it is a fading fad, perhaps because a photo image is so often merely a reflection; not, the real thing.
I believe human beings need to spend time with people, not merely with their technological faceprint. A photo may evoke memories, but only those photos created through interaction between the subjects touch the soul, where self awareness becomes a mutual exchange.
The more time we spend on-line,the less time we have to be together in the flesh. We smile watching people sitting in a coffee shop, sometimes at the same table, engaged with their laptops, not with one another. We say, “that’s how it is now” and chide those who decry such behavior as “not being in tune with the times”.
Perhaps I am out of tune. The song I sing is meant to be heard, seen, touched, tasted and smelled. Don’t send me a “selfie”. Come visit. I want to see you. I want to know you deep and wide. I want to remain fully human. I want to live fully alive. I wish the same for you.
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Tagged as photography, self awareness, selfies, social media, technology