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| Pink fluffies on the Mimosa. |
By Maryanna Gabriel
The Man Who Thinks He Can
If you think you are beaten you are
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you like to win, but you think you can't
it is almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost
For oft in this world we find,
sucess begins with a fellow's will
It's all in a state of mind.
- Walter Wintle
With the holiday and slow ferries, I got caught in town. So I took myself out to dinner. It was delicious and I loved it. Could not help but notice a couple together, but not together. All they did was stare at their phones while at the same table. It seemed a little peculiar. And lonely.
Then last night I listened to a podcast from a seemingly aware type of fellow who was wanting to catch a plane. Of the four hundred people waiting at the airport gate, all were transfixed by their phones. Except him. He said he felt like the "only human". It gets like that, doesn't it? A slow creep. An erosion of serenity. Nobody home. All this while reports of artificial intelligence escaping the parameters set by their so-called keepers hits the news. Are we really in charge?
This morning, I deliberately waited an hour before checking my phone.What happened? An important piece of writing got focused on. Breakfast was peaceful. A day well begun. The recalibration felt fine.
Tonight I will work on the same goal. It's a matter of focus. Giving my attention to beauty. To the pink fluffies on the tree in the garden. To peace. To a life well lived, one day a time. And preserving my humaness.