Is it or is it not real? What’s clear to me is that the lines are blurry. And depending on your viewpoint, the lines are downright invisible. Has technology finally surpassed our own imaginations and run amok?

Just hearing the headlines makes me wonder. The world we live in is weird. And scary. And wonderful.

Saturday is newspaper day in our house. We get a variety of papers (kind of like watching different network news channels I guess … we generally avoid tv news) Of course front page news is usually geared to attract a buyer for the paper. Lately there’s been a lot of violence. The undertone is that on line gaming is to blame. Really?? Diving into the paper you find economic speculation and blame is directed at the government of the day. Can’t wait for the mud slinging election cycle to start soon. Yikes.

Speaking of elections, it would appear that faint hope is coloured green these days! If folks are really that wound up about climate change then a resounding green victory is a no brainer!! Sure. Dream on. Just the thought is depressing. Oh. That brings us to another tragedy in the Kennedy clan. This time a young Boston College senior. Did she silently suffer from depression?

So here’s my theory. Virtual reality has us disconnected. We know more about the Kardashian’s than we do about our friends and family. We want it and we want it now. Fame. Fortune. Stuff. And as we barrel through life with tunnel vision shaped by fake news we eventually hit a dead end. No more virtual. Just reality.

But plain old reality stripped of the virtualness of media and information overload is actually exceptional. There is beauty in our world. We just have to slow down to capture it. It’s a lush forest. The soulful gaze of your pup. A phone call with family. A starry night with your soulmate. Dinner al fresco with friends. A hot shower. A cool breeze.

I’m not totally sure, but I think the revelation is spurred by retirement. It’s the contentment that flows from leisure time. Time to appreciate the obvious right in front of us.

Grateful and loving it.