Life as we know it

Living in the twenty first century can be daunting on a number of fronts. The more senior amongst us are coming to terms with a new technology in our working and personal lives. My husband has embraced the I Phone. He downloads books which he reads while patiently waiting my return to the car from a shopping expedition or if alone, sits and reads quietly in a coffee shop. Of course some of his peers might look at him strangely wondering why he is staring at his "mobile phone".

I am quite happy to have a mobile phone simply for incoming or outgoing calls of a useful nature. Certainly not for long conversations which I prefer to do on the old faithful land line at home. I do like the "net" for access of all sorts of information. I'm a politics freak so you will find me most days accessing the papers for various opinions in my endeavour to be well informed on this front. Perhaps I should leave well enough alone, because it can be quite frustrating to realise that most politicians do not have the national interest at heart or some do, until their political self interest takes over.

The new technology seems to have brought many unfavourable aspects with it. The ability of our young and naive to access that which is distasteful and obscene and one questions whether anyone should be accessing it. Somehow it seemed less accessible when in book or magazine form, but was it really? To be a parent in this age of abundant technology is to know fear of how to control this virulent pornography of the mind.

It is exciting to think though of the medical breakthroughs such as transplants and other worthy discoveries brought about by new technologies. We can only stand in awe and wonder at their limitless powers.

Hopefully the good out weighs the bad in the scheme of things, and the future looms promisingly for us all.

Angst

It's my sister's birthday today and as I mentally send her a happy birthday greeting, I also realise that I may never again get to wish her that in person. She has made the decision to wipe me out of her life permanently. It's a bizarre feeling to not get a say in something so momentous. I could force my way into her consciousness by appearing at her doorstep or phoning her directly but those alternatives seem obnoxious as she appears so resolute in never wanting to see me again.

Although I feel hard done by and hurt by her denial of me, I can only act through my own perspective. I don't know how hard done by she feels although I may think she is being totally absurd. I cannot think of a time when I would feel the need to completely and utterly consign my sibling relationship to the equivalent of the rubbish tip. That doesn't mean I haven't been furious about some imagined slight but to me a familial relationship has always been one to nurture.

The wider world gives us many an example of rifts and strains in social relationships. "The ties that bind us are the ones that divide us" to quote some well known words. Most of us can't even agree on the way to govern ourselves. When I was growing up it was always a mantra that what happened in the family stayed in the family. I loved the round the table discussions that often took place amongst the family. Perhaps they should have been more honest and our disputes instead of being hidden could see the light of day, and lose their authenticity by straight talking.

Happy birthday sister - I wish you well.