Attention Vs. Patience... Get Yours Today!

Everyone has a
personal relationship with technology.
Some want their distance.
They like buttons that do a lot
or people that just take care of things.
Some people get so deep in the details of technology
it's hard for them to have regular conversations.

I adore technology.
I love my phone, my audio gear
and everything that goes into marketing tech.

Everything always
seems to get better
with new updates.

In fact, when you get
something that needs a software update,
there's a thing called a change log.
That's where they
tell you what's new in the software.
And they usually have a list of fixes.

Which means most things are broken somewhere.
That's why they're fixing it with the update.
Sometimes they fix one thing and break 10 more things with a new update.

The two sides of technology can either teach you about patience
or insulate you from chaos.

When I'm dealing with website problems
or big platform policy changes,
it's the same thing to me.
They keep my eyes open.
They force me to ask for help quickly.

The more people count on you,
the more you're surrounded
with everything breaking
and fixing in a round robin way.

Everything is in the state of flux
and always will be.
Your relaxing days are just when you decide
not to dive in and start tinkering.
That's not a bad thing by the way.

You appreciate the
wholeness of the broken parts.
If you don't appreciate it broken,
why try to make things better?

Sometimes I didn't read the manual.
So I treated things like they were broken.
Because I didn't have the patience.
And if things didn't work quickly,
then something was wrong.
Oh something was wrong, all right - me! lol

We're swimming in the short term.
What are we happy with this second?
How fast did I bring that sale in?

Can you remember ever seeing
a famous magician do some magic tricks?
Can you ever remember yourself saying
DAMN this show is slow!
No you can't.

Because part of what people
consider as magic
is how fast it happens.
The overnight miracle!
Magicians know this so they move fast.
Action movies do super
fast edits to make time fly by.

So much speed to keep us entertained
makes patience irritating.
Isn't there an app for patience?
Damn right there is!
Super fast download too!

Your phone is a great wingman.
It's a high tech alibi.
You can blame it when you can't pay attention.
You can use it to keep you busy and
guard your attention from
escaping your clutches.

This isn't to make you feel guilty.
This is to point out your strength is
mixed up in all this.

It's trendy attention
and trendy patience
for the perfect image.

Trendy patience is an Instagram filter.
Real patience is facing the daily mess
and rolling up your sleeves and getting to work.

Sometimes when you pass the buck
you don't make the buck.

Even if things are broken.
Even if nothing gets fixed right away.

Remember when you were a kid -
was there ever someone
who was there for you
even though it was really hard for them?
Or they didn't have to be there but they chose to?
Or you made life miserable for them (I know it could never be you of course buy maybe you could have been better to them?)
and they still stayed?

You remember the people
who stayed, don't you?
Who didn't breeze past you
when you needed them.

How much stronger
did their support make you?

You have that immense power.
Someone you know very well
may have all kinds of awkwardness
because they need your help.
Maybe just to be listened to.
They can't bring themselves to ask you.
And you may not be offering,
because you know - calendar.

You remember the ones who stayed and helped you.
And you may be haunted for life
by the ones who left you to fight for yourself.
But they did so for all the best reasons.
At least that's what they kept saying.