Witnessing an utter waste of life.

Perhaps it is because I’ve passed the venerable age of 40 and I’m becoming grumpy at more things more often.

Perhaps it is because I recall a time before home computers and instant messages when hanging out with someone meant you were actually face to face with them.

Perhaps it is any number of reasons that I cannot tolerate being around people who are wasting their time.

In one evening at a pub I witnessed a disturbing scene. Don’t get me wrong, I see good in socializing in a pub. Socializing with friends over a nice pint is a time honored tradition. This particular evening, however, was wrong in a Lovecraftian sense. That’s how wrong it was-Lovecraftian Wrong.

There was one person sitting alone, drinking and mumbling to herself (that’s fine, I talk to myself too, Shut up! No! You shut up!. Ahem) . A couple sitting watching the TV (ok, so they like to spend more money at a bar rather than staying home and doing the same thing. I’ve done that too) and a few business types talking about how to make the next hundred thousand (yeah so I’m jealous…). Ok, everyone needs to blow off steam, that’s why I was there, to unwind a bit with a colleague. Sure. But then came the discussion between two grown men about Twitter. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

After hearing about how Stewie Griffin and Brian tweet and how the one guy gets over 1,000 tweets a day the individual said that he followed the Dali Lama. It was “the” Dali Lama! “It’s amazing that he can, like, talk about like enlightenment in 140 characters!” The statement acted as a koan that woke me to my immediate situation.

I was sitting amongst a group of people who were doing nothing. They were becoming nothing. They were tricking themselves into mimicking activity but all they were doing was avoiding living life. Worst of them all was the one who lived life through 140 characters from a 1,000 different people, some of whom were not even real people!

I’m not a Luddite. I enjoy my computer and the occasional Facebook conversation. However, when playing “Black Ops” becomes an acceptable example of “hanging out” with someone and when 140 characters can represent enlightenment to someone, its time I check my baggage and move on.

Rather than “listen” to the Dali Lama’s 140 characters, sit an meditate for 2 minutes!

Rather than playing Black Ops and screaming at someone through a headset play D&D and scream at them face to face (more likelihood of punches being thrown!)

Rather than finding sleep in a pub create something. Paint. Write. Play. Imagine. Indulge. Just don’t be defined by gadgets and the latest “apps”. Fucking Hel people…you only have so many days on this pimple in space! Do SOMETHING!!

I know I am.

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~ by lkkeane on February 24, 2011.