On my walk this morning, I attended a parrot convention in my neighborhood park. I couldn’t resist.
After hearing the cacophony blocks away, I diverted my route to find beautiful green birds, big and small, perching on and diving from a huge birch tree. Some birds climbed to the top branches to the top of the flock while others snuck off in pairs to neighboring trees.
This ritual gathering reminded me of small town mornings in my local coffee shop when I was a young girl. On the few occasions my mother treated me to a morning omelet with greasy hash browns and a large o.j. during the school week (yes I have a cool mother who allowed the occasional supervised truancy), I would marvel at the universe contained in this diner. Businessmen on their way to work would gather together for coffee and toast. Mothers, having just dropped off their kids at school, would fawn over the pastry special of the day. And some would sit quietly by themselves with a book.
After graduation, I sped away from that town as quickly as my aging Corolla would take me. Now, years and piles of degrees separate me from those memories.
From a Distance
Moving from city to city, for a long time I welcomed the privacy and invisibility. I met all sorts of fascinating people. Yet, I no longer knew all my neighbors. And nobody spread the word if I decided to stay out until 2 a.m.
The spread of the internet into every crevice of life added a strange flavor to this autonomy. Today, even though I know the latest happenings with many of these friends (thanks to Facebook and Twitter), I haven’t seen many of them in weeks – even months or years. When I do see them, it is odd, because I don’t need to ask them how their work or dating life is going. I have just read their latest status. I often find myself at a loss for how to start the conversation. Hmm.
Our global culture and the internet don’t allow for frequent eye contact. I guess that’s why they call this a virtual community. Yet, in this transition, I feel as if I have lost some of that personal connection. Which then makes me wonder, what are we losing as a society in this trend?
Ms. Dewberry, an accomplished cellist, completed her DMA in Chamber Music Performance from UCLA in December 2005. She received her MM in Cello Performance from UCLA in June 2002 and her B.M. in Cello Performance from Western Michigan University in April 1998. She also holds a B.A. in French with a minor in Women's Studies and Philosophy.
Her website is www.carterdewberry.com
She may be contacted at carter@carterdewberry.com
