The world seems smaller to me at times.

You know how when you are looking for something on the internet and one things leads you to another thing.  Then before you know it your off searching something else that has nothing to do with the first thing.  That’s sort of what the human brain is like when it comes to memories.  If you just sit down and start thinking or maybe writing down stuff before you know it one memory leads to another and also from one person to another.  The same things happens when you have a nostalgic conversation with an old friend or relative.

It constantly amazes me how intertwined our lives are.  When you start communicating with people and sharing things with them, they naturally want to share things with you as well.  The internet has made this easier.  First with email and now with social networking sites.  I have forgotten a lot of things in my life.  But by reconnecting with people who were a big and even a small part of my past those memories start to resurface.  In addition the new people in my life have had similar experiences and they share those with me as well. 

Sometimes its seems like a great big world and everyone is spread out everywhere.  But in truth, it really is a small world.  It amazes me when one person you only know one way, somehow knows other people you know.  That doesn’t really make sense, but I don’t know how to phrase it differently.  Casual, friendly relationships have changed in the last few years.  Where we use to go days, weeks, months, and even years without interacting with someone, now we have pretty much instant access to them.  With the connection comes the memories and good feelings of times gone by.

Who would have thought that the day would come when we carry around a device that connects us instantly to the people in our lives.  If we need directions, its there.  No need to stop at a gas station and ask for directions.  I wonder if young people even know what a folded up road map is.  If you need to know what a word means, just pull out your smart phone or tablet.  Do they still even print dictionaries?  I remember doing research papers in school and having to spend hours at the library.  Now every bit of information you could possibly need is on the computer.  I was watching an old movie and the character pulled out a letter they were typing and I saw they were using carbon paper.  Oh how I hated carbon paper!!!

I really do think our brain is much like a computer.  Computers have evolved over the years to become something that no one can really do without.  In the beginning it could only do small things.  As it has evolved it does things beyond our wildest imagination.  I don’t know how it all works.  But if something happened and all this instant access was gone tomorrow, I would be very very sad and empty.