A big hello to all those who’ve been following me here. Please note that this blog will no longer be updated, as I have a brand new website that I’ve been working on.
Please find me at www.mappingthemindful.co.za!
See you guys there!Â
A big hello to all those who’ve been following me here. Please note that this blog will no longer be updated, as I have a brand new website that I’ve been working on.
Please find me at www.mappingthemindful.co.za!
See you guys there!Â
If they give you support, comfort, and sheer happiness, you know it’s love. Plus, all of them are almost always really good looking.
Choose your sneakers wisely. Don’t go home with the wrong ones. đ
Even Mother Nature is delighted that it’s Friday today!
Brace yourself, because this is going to be a very long read.
There’s this article I came across sometime last week, but it was originally published four months ago. This article was by Gary Vaynerchuk, better known as Garyvee, on his website. It was titled, ‘This Generation Will be Fine: Why Social Media Won’t Ruin Us’. I was obviously super intrigued and knew I was in for another biased opinion of this Internet personality. And I was right! This article was all kinds of biased crap in so many ways.
In his article, Vaynerchuk insists that whatever is happening with technology in our culture right now, is evolution.Â
Whatâs happening with technology in our culture and society is just evolution. Technology is not undermining real human interactions. Instead, it is exposing people for who they really are.
First off, how isn’t technology undermining real human interactions? Everywhere you look, everyone’s heads are down, staring at their mobile phone screens, scrolling through aimlessly for hours. I am so guilty of this kind of behaviour. I’m sure we all are. How often do we put our phones down, and turn around to talk to the person sitting right next to us? I’m not talking about strangers, now. I’m talking about the people we know, and live with.
We should not âfeel sorryâ for the couple on a date who are looking at their phones. For all we know, their phones are providing a different, more constructive outlet to focus their attention instead of allowing for arguments or an awkward silences. Two people who didnât like each other would ignore each other regardless of Instagram or Angry Birds.
This absolutely made no sense to me. And I won’t even begin to debate that. I’ll just point out that it’s not about two people ignoring each other because they don’t like each other. It’s about two people who do like each other, don’t talk to each other because they are so busy being present in the virtual world. Sure, social media has saved many of us from making small talk, and helped us escape those awkward silences, but I don’t find the need to glorify social media. But don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against it, I manage social media accounts for a living. The only problem I have is how all of us have become so engrossed in our virtual lives, and distant from the real world. Mostly how people idiotically believe that they’re making a difference by participating in the usage of hashtags for every disaster that strikes, and only taking half a second to switch back to their own lives. We don’t give a second thought to how we can really help, and make a real difference to those suffering.
In the 1940s, people had their heads in the newspaper and their ears to the radio. By the 60s, it was the TV. What about everyone today on their laptop and smartphones at a Starbucks? See what Iâm getting at?
I personally think this is such an unfair comparison. I was born in the early 90s, and grew up in a city. This didn’t stop me from going outdoors to climb trees, and run around playing cop and robbers with my friends. I’ve had the best days in my childhood, all from staying outdoors when my parents were at work all day. So, how does Vaynerchuk compare this age of technology to newspapers and TV? People might have had their heads buried in newspapers, and eyes glued to the TV, but they knew when to put that paper down, and when to turn that TV off. Families spent time with each other watching TV together. With phones today, it’s so much easier for the same families to walk away to their respective rooms, eager to visit the virtual world to hold virtual conversations. I mean, sure these days you can connect with people easier and make new friends, but I personally prefer heading outdoors and meeting new people. I know for a fact I’m not wrong about this because you can talk to anyone who grew up in that time period and they’ll tell you how much time they spent outdoors, interacting and connecting with their friends, family, and nature. In this day and age of technology, we are more disconnected that anything else. It’s an evolution of fragmented relationships.
Shout if I’m wrong.
It takes a brave soul to take their shoes off in winter and stroll on the ice cold beach sand.
I’m that brave soul.
Aren’t unplanned plans the best kind of plans? I believe they are!
My plans for yesterday were to spend the day in PJs, lazing in bed watching movies, while chowing down on popcorn mercilessly. And like always, my plans didn’t fall through. I was dragged out of bed by my cravings for ice-cream. That being said, I finally got to visit the ice-cream shop that’s been the talk of the town lately.
Crumbs & Cream is an ice-cream shop in Sea Point, where you can get a cookie sandwich for R35. You can pick your choice of cookies, which by the way, are chewy, and gooey, and yummy. Next, you pick the flavour (s) of ice-cream for your sandwich, and lastly, you pick your toppings. I tried a chocolate chip and brownie cookie sandwich with strawberry cheesecake ice-cream, topped with sprinkles. Sprinkles are the best, guys!
The day ended with delicious sushi at a nearby restaurant, along with a very, very short ‘stroll’ on the promenade. But all I can say is that my Sunday was absolutely unplanned and perfect in every way.
What did you guys do this weekend?
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These guys were painting this huge door next to my workplace, yesterday morning. The sweet man in white said, “Wait, let me say cheese!”, and then he blinked! But this picture is still perfect in all its ways. Don’t you think?
 As I look out the window, I see a blanket of grey clouds that have taken over the sky. Sitting in a comfortable sofa chair, I listen to the rough landing of the raindrops on the roof. I can’t hear what the person sitting right next to me is saying; all I hear are the heavy raindrops above me.
Even in so much noise, I can hear a deafening silence.Â