Do you remember that episode near the beginning of A
Christmas Carol – the one in which Jacob Marley shows Scrooge all the spirits
floating in the air, desperately wanting to help the living and needy, but
unable to do so because they’re now disattached from material life?
I’m feeling a bit like that at the moment. Most of the
people I ‘know’ these days are a long, long way away – other bloggers, e-mail
correspondents and the like. People I can talk to through the keyboard, but can’t
even see, much less touch.
I’ve just read the most impassioned blog post from somebody
I care about. I so want to reach out, stroke an arm, offer a hug of
consolation, have a proper conversation with all the complex points
and counterpoints. I want to offer something tangible, even if it’s only a tone
of voice or a look in the eyes. I can’t. All I can do is type ‘I understand’
into a comment form. It isn’t enough; it isn’t anything like enough.
And then there’s the counter side...
The internet is wonderful in its way, for pushing out the
circle and extending our reach. But it isn’t a proper reach, is it? We’re not
really there for one another, as we
should be.
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