Cannot deny it any further. The body aches did not faze. The various syndromes that appeared to be attracted to me as metal is to magnets - did not faze me. Me, the reader all my life, falling asleep upon reading three pages in my favorite chair - no fazing there either. But this, oh, this is bad. Someone could take out a rubber stamp of OLD and put it right there on my forehead.
What has done this to me? What has taken the wind from my sails? In one way, it was a cumulative result, a consequence of some rapidly changing terms and ideas which took a great deal of reading, studying, and finding my grandsons! On the other hand, there are terms now emerging which just shock me to the bones, my apparently fragile bones, and the future does not look any better, or more encouraging. In fact, it is beginning to look like the worlds of the various sci-fi and science fantasy movies where reality is not, virtual is confusing and questionable and both these worlds are merging, much to the detriment of all.
Matrix. Neo. Virtual reality - huh! Blockchain. Say what?! Metaverse. Metaverses. Excited Wall Street re these virtual worlds. Crypto ecosystem. What? Crypto trading. And here I am first getting truly comfortable using the ATM machines and the credit card thingamajigs in Publix.
See, to me, reality is reality and virtual is not. On the other hand, these days the reality is so questionable, so unacceptable, and at one time even unimaginable, at least in reality, that perhaps we truly do need to develop plugins - in a virtual manner, of course - and escape the ugly realities of today's world.
The problem, though, is that the real invades the virtual, all its problems simply transferring over, using avatars - remember that word? - and well, what the hell is accomplished? Instead of using brain power, out of the box minds to solve problems in the real world, they are too busy shooting knights and planes and aliens, building cities that have no connection to the world in which we all must live, like it or not. Food must be ingested. Food must be grown. Real people are needed to facilitate the machinery of society. Not to forget the feverish frenzy regarding finding the best influencer to follow. What the heck is an influencer and now do you see what I mean? An influencer!!
Lordy, Lordy. This is a confusing world indeed. We old folks will soon be standing in an aisle wondering how to order real food presented in a virtual manner and then how to get it in reality and get it home in a realistic manner. No virtual knight is going to schlep it home for me on his warrior steed. Nope. Definitely not. Even were that to happen, I would question my sanity, or at least my eyes, and just resign myself to whatever follows. Oh, but wait, is that a crypto coin in my pocket? How did it get there? Is it real, good for the reality world or is it part of the virtual game I have been playing with 17 million other people round the world? Oh dear. HELP!!!
Anyone have a Monopoly game? Oh, it went virtual. Uh, Sorry? Virtual as well. Hmmm. Anyone have a good old Spalding ball so we can play stickball? No more? All is played on virtual terms. What the hell..... Never mind. So the influencers tell us. They rule. Oy vey.
Oy vey indeed. I still have those quaint but lovable things called books, waiting for me at home and of course, a well-deserved nap. Bye. May we all hope for the best in this world 'achangin' ever so fast. Best advice? Stock up on real items. Forget influencers. Go find your 20-year-old grandchild, old enough to understand and teach, young enough to still love you and spend the time teaching you, a mostly hopeless case. At least we can get a hug or two out of this as we tell them stories of the "old days", our days of glory, as they listen, mouths agape, wondering how we lived in worlds where people actually spoke to each other, not texted, did not always have computers strapped to wrists or implanted in their arms, where life moved at a slower pace, where joy was real, problems real as well, and avatars were kept in their proper place as people tried to solve the eternal problems of the world in reality.
Those were the days, my friends, we thought they'd never end.... but they did and are continuing to do so. Oh well, time for my lesson - and a hug - virtual, of course, as we Zoom together. Remember when Zoom meant going really fast. Quick as can be? Bye. For now. I hope. I really do not want to become an avatar when I grow up. Nope. Not at all. Despite what any influencer tries to sell or tell me.
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