Romance on the hiking trails

Bob, me, Al, silly kid, Frank, Victoria, Gregg, Carol

Yesterday I went to an open house hosted by two of our hikers, Bob and Victoria, who have bought a home together, not only because of their mutual interests, but because they found love as well. It's not the first romance that has blossomed because of our hiking group; Gregg and Carol are also a couple and have moved in together, and they also met while hiking with the Senior Trailblazers. I asked for a picture of the group of hikers that attended the open house. Victoria's grandson had to show off and join the group. I don't know his name, but I know he's obviously an extrovert. It was a fun affair, with lots of guests, kids, and dogs.

I suppose in earlier times, people who fell in love and wanted to become a family would get married, but once you're a senior, that can be inconvenient. Because of our country's social security rules, it can mean that one or both of you stand to lose some of your income through marriage. And it's not like we seniors are still going to be producing children. It was lovely to see the way Bob and Victoria's combined families have meshed.

My beloved and I met through a mutual love of skydiving, and we did decide to get married, but we were relatively young, each of us in our early fifties. We jumped together for several years, but fortunately for us, we have many other activities that connect us. Our skydiving days are over, but our love for one another only grows stronger with each passing year.

*  *  *

Another thing on my mind lately is how much our lives have changed because of technology. Those pesky cellphones are everywhere these days, and I hardly ever see anybody looking up from their phones while on the bus. Since our buses are now wired with free wifi, I too occasionally check my email on my phone. But I resist being caught up in it all. I wonder what all those people are actually doing on their phones. Occasionally I'll see that someone is playing a game, like Candy Crush, but surely that's not what everybody is doing. Nobody is talking on them, even though that is ostensibly their primary use. And everybody has, right there with them, a quality camera and video available at their fingertips.

Now everyone can be helpful in cases of criminal activity that can be caught on phones, or videos of wrongdoing that confirm who did what. That is a new feature of our lives that is welcome, in my opinion. But really, what has happened to us that we no longer pay much attention to our surroundings and we stay hunched over our devices, lost in our own little worlds.

It would be one thing if this were an isolated activity, but it's becoming more and more widespread, with so many of us no longer present. What an opportunity for mind control. It is a little scary to realize that is the direction in which we are headed, with everyone needing to be connected every moment of every day. When I travel up to the wilderness areas to hike, we have no internet, so for most of the day I use my phone as a camera and place it on airplane mode so that it will not continue to search for a nonexistent connection and drain the battery.

Yes, I am definitely hooked on the need to be connected, but as an older person, I remember the days when we actually looked at our surroundings and didn't need to have a smartphone available 24/7. It's only been since 2007 that smartphones have existed, and look what has happened in a mere twelve years! What does the future hold, I wonder.

It's possible that this is all just a passing phase in our development, but who knows for sure? Certainly I won't be around in another couple of decades to see where it all leads, but my inquiring mind looks at our future and sees all kinds of possibilities, not all of them positive.

The human spirit must prevail over technology. —Albert Einstein

Before I started writing this post this morning, I made a quick check of my favorite news sites, just to make sure nothing much had happened since I went to bed. So I am just a much in need of my internet as anybody. And I just now pulled out my phone from my bathrobe pocket to check the weather, so I can know if I need my raincoat this morning (I will).

But another thing technology has given me is this: the ability to sit in my dark bedroom with my laptop and communicate with the world in an instant. I'll hit "publish" and anyone out there with a internet connection can read what I just wrote. Not only that, but the reader can also comment instantaneously, without the need to wait. I suppose this wasn't fast enough for some people, and that's why Twitter was created. I don't use it, thank goodness, since I cannot imagine spending any more time than I already do involved with my screens.

And now it is time for me to put away this Sunday morning duty and continue on with my day. My tea is gone, partner is still sleeping quietly next to me, and this blustery rainy day ahead needs me to join it. Out of bed, conduct my daily activities, and never ever forgetting to give thanks for all the blessings that surround me. Until we meet again next week, I wish you all good things. Be well.