THE NEW TOWER OF BABEL
Everyone probably knows the story of the Tower of Babel.
Yet, it may be important to quickly review it for those who are not familiar with it.
In the days of the Biblical Noah, men across that part of the world were bad, very bad. So much so that it took a major flood to get rid of them.
These people, who all spoke one language, were so bad that they got upset about God and they decided to go see him and maybe kill him.
When they found out that he lived in heavens, they decided to build a tower to go up and reach him.
And the construction starts. From few feet high to several yards, and the tower kept getting bigger. So much so that God and his angels were astonished and decided to stop this enterprise.
The way to do it was to mix their speech by having everyone speak a different language, so when the man above asked the man below to give him straw, he will give him a brick, while the man next to him ask for a brick, he will get straw and on and on.
Men could not understand each other and the work had to stop. It did stop at a good height but still far from Heaven.
Why am I bringing this story today?
Well, in our new technological age, today's baby boomers do not understand the Millennials. Some speak in high tech terms while others still read the newspapers or write letters. What was normal ten, twenty, thirty years ago, today it is d?passé, out of fashion, out of style. Today's kids do not go to the store to buy what they need, they order all they need through Amazon via their computer, order, pay and receive their order quickly by mail.
Today's kids are happy, the way this new world has become while the elders are wondering what is wrong with them. Yes a few of them are adapting, but not the majority.
Who is right.?
Using Amazon, and that is only one example, there is no need to get to your car, make sure you have enough gas to get to your next stop, drive a while. Look for a parking place, and sometimes pay for it, then go in the store and look for what you need, not always to find quickly, take it go to the cash register, wait for your turn, then look for your money or card to pay, get the package, back to your car and back home. This transaction took time that could have been used for something else, maybe more important.
This issue is becoming the new life, lived by today's generation.
And I will be tempted to call it the GAFA generation ( Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon) for who today does not interact with one if them? For if you don't, then you don't exist. And this is what is happening to the old folks. And sadly, I am one of them.
Does this lack of communication remind me of the Tower of Babelà
If I ever get too nervous, too anxious, un understood, set apart, excluded, feeling unwanted by this community that was mine one day, not too long ago, then I may wish to punish these people the way, the people of the Tower got punished. Maybe then, they will appreciate.
As of this minute, I do wonder that if it is the way the world is going and that I do not seem to belong to it, what am I doing here? May as well leave it!
But you will tell me: No, you need to adapt yourself to it, learn the way the kids learnt, be part of the system.
But if I say that I do not like this system, I will be told, tough luck, you are in or you are out!
What bothers me now is what the future has in the bank. If I am still around in the next ten years and the way things are today, more changes will take place then what becomes of me? For I am sure that more discoveries will happen, more easier ways to live take place and today will become obsolete. I will become obsolete.
How to change the world to make it a better place, to make people to be better people, to think about one another since now it is every man for himself, dog eat dog, free for all. Yes, people are all too busy. Running all the time. Working harder to make more money as they need to pay for their needs. If it is not the school for the kids, it is the health for the family.
Is this what life is all about?
I doubt it.
I shall stop here
Lecteur, si tu as un commentaire, une idée, une suggestion, s'il te plait communique la moi à Jacques@SagesseOuEsTu.com