Community matters in a high-tech world
Before the onslaught of media technology, folks used to visit each other in person, gathering around a piano to sing or in a parlor to discuss the day’s events. Today, we have the internet, which gives each of us the power, with a few keystrokes, to communicate with others globally. We now have podcasts, streaming video, and a host of other technology-driven outlets that enable us to sit in our kitchens with the world at our fingertips, literally. But the need for human connection is still there—perhaps stronger than ever. It’s depressing to hear about the end of UML’s Sunrise show because it is a loss for our community, especially as an outlet for voices not heard in the mainstream. It seems there might have been other options, as Lynne mentions in LiL, such as a push toward a more volunteer- or student-based production and perhaps we’ll see that happen. In the frenetic world we live in, however, it’s difficult to find time to volunteer, which is why kudos go to the staff of the new LTC cable show, City Life, produced by John McDonough with co-hosts George Anthes and Tom Byrne. The time and effort required to produce a show consistently is daunting, and these guys deserve credit for putting such energy into this project. And like Cliff Krieger—our latest local blogger—each new voice expands our perspectives and understanding of our community. These endeavors become especially important today because they use technology to connect us with our neighbors through idea sharing rather than isolate us in techno-cocoons of our own making, which is, of course, a downside to the text-messaging, ipod, laptop, blue-tooth-laden world we live in.