If you are looking for an earth-shaking diary, move on. But I just had to express these thoughts after President Obama spoke in Marquette, Michigan today.
I ate lunch at my computer today, as I do every day, in my cozy but somehwat messy little office. But I did a lot more than eat lunch.
I also:
- Watched the President of the United States speak to an assembly in the U.P. about Winning the Future through using technology to move the country forward;
- Listened to Editor Ron Dzwonkowski at the Detroit Free Press explain what a Stormy Kromer is;
- Made a new friend (on Facebook);
- Dropped in on some conversations with old friends (on Facebook);
- Learned something about a minor medical condition that I have;
- Browsed some movie selections;
- Read some of the latest political news;
- Voted in a poll;
- Watched the latest news, live, from halfway around the world -- Cairo -- and heard the chants of the crowd there;
- Laughed at the daily pictures of pooties and their hilarious captions.
Yes, Mr. President. I get it. We need to be like Northern Michigan University, and the whole town of Marquette, wired to the internet. My lunchtime would not have been so productive without being able to do all of the things that I did, or spend time with the people that I spent time with, all in real time.
Sometimes it helps to step back from all of the things we take for granted, and wonder at it all. The way our parents and grandparents wondered at the miracle of radio, then television. The internet takes us immediately where we need to go. And once I get one of those darned smartphones, I'll be able to take the world with me without needing to be next to this large (but wonderful!) piece of hardware on my desk.
As I write this, Egypt is waiting for Hosni Mubarek to speak, with excitement buzzing in Tehrir Square. I have Al Jazeera English on my computer. I am there.