thought you were dead

Sent an email out the other week, and one of the recipients replied "thought you were dead".
Their reasoning was that because I had not been active online for some months, then I must have died, because everyone is online all the time.

How strange. I know many people who never use a computer, but who are most definitely alive. They go shopping in real shops, meet people face to face or use that old fashioned thing called a "phone".

I have myself spent several months (apart from my full time employment) attending committee meetings of various charities that I am a trustee of, sitting talking to friends, visiting relatives, helping a reading scheme in a local school and going for walks in the countryside with my dog. And all of them without a computer in sight! What a relief for me not to be staring at a small screen for hours on end.

So I make this comment, partly to reassure all my friends across the world, and acquaintances, that I am still very much here.

tea and biscuits

It has been a long family tradition through several generations, that mid afternoon we had tea and biscuits. Never just a cup of tea. Well I have been trying to lose weight recently but I still find myself going for the biscuits. It is the same at work. Whenever someone comes back from holiday, celebrates their birthday or some special event (fund raising for charity) out come the biscuits, cakes and even jam donuts.

So what did I take in to share with my team yesterday, to mark the Baha'i calendar "Intercalary days"? Yes, of course - biscuits! (OK there were some apples and oranges as well.)

people networking

sometimes when so involved with your day-to-day life (maybe pressure to get a job done), it is so easy to forget a great source of help - other PEOPLE! Whether by email or phone, a posting on a support web page or just talking to someone at the water cooler (in the restaurant/snack bar, etc) it is by sharing your needs (how can I do this, what is the best way to do that) that we can both give and receive help.
It was said long ago "No man is an island", and in the Baha'i writings we find "God loves those who work together in groups". Humans are social animals, not meant to live in solitary isolation. All the teachings from the great religions give guidance and laws for living as community groups.
This goes for our work as well as our home life. We should be open to forming bonds of loving support and friendship because of the help we can give others, not just because we ourselves want to be helped.

So much to do

We are living our lives so much in the electronic realm that keeping up with it all takes more and more of our time. Websites and Blogs to update, reading email, maintaining contacts with friends and colleagues through both professional sites and social networking ones - we risk spending such a large part of our waking lives with them that we leave no room for meeting in 'real life'.
Never mind virtual reality 'games' and such - I am off to meet living people! To the office where I meet the team I work with, then out for a meal with the family this evening.