The year started with everyone wishing everyone the best of
everything ... thousands of greetings, good words and wishful messages were sent
conveniently from smart devices and posted all over the social
media.
Smart devices and social media provide a lot of conveniences
and these technologies have somehow become a necessity in our everyday lives
... many are quick to say that they have become more “connected” with the
people in their lives.
Really? I beg to differ.
It has become very common to see a group of people (whether family
or friends), sitting at the same table and everyone is communicating ... with
someone who is NOT EVEN THERE !!!
If we look at most of the messages or glamorous photos
posted on social media ... it looks like all of us are living our lives very well and having a
good time. In reality, some are really in deep shit but on Facebook ...
everything looks so good.
Are we really more connected? Looks more like we are
disconnected from reality !!!
Then I see people expressing their love openly to their loved ones on social
media ... especially on festive seasons, mother/father days, birthdays,
anniversaries ... telling their parents, siblings, spouses how much they love them
... from within the country or half way across the world.
Telling someone how much you love them on FB ... really ???
I beg to differ ... I think at best it is just a half hearted effort. Call me old school or call me old fashion
... from what I was taught when you love someone, you want to be with them.
That is why we see millions of people all over the world travel back home to
their loved ones every year on festive holidays, anniversaries, birthdays and other celebratory occasions ... some drove the whole
day, other took a few days and some took more than a week to go home.
Why did they go through the trouble? Because like me, they
believe that if you love someone, you want to be with them. Not DIGITIZE your
love and send it conveniently by smart devices or expressing your love on
social media ... to me that is just a show, just to let people think that you
care. Maybe you do love them and maybe you do care ... but not as much as you think,
definitely not enough to make you want to be with them.
And nowadays many parents encourage their kids to go out to
see the world ... that is absolutely wonderful. Young people should take the
opportunity to go explore outside their countries. With smart technologies, the world have become so small, so
accessible, so connected ... that is why many parents feel that it is more
affordable, more convenient, more safe and more easy to let their kids go out
to discover the world.
Really, I am also thinking the same and I am also telling my
kids to do that too. But I beg to differ a bit ... there is also one important
thing that I am telling my kids ... remember to COME HOME.
Yes, the young ones should be taught to be independent, to expand
their horizon, to explore global adventures and to seek opportunities outside but they must also be taught the values of a family, the bond between
loved ones, the respect for the elderly, the duty as family member and if they
are taught well ... they will want to COME HOME.
Strange but true ... we go out looking for things we wanted
only to find them when we come home.
