We Should Appreciate The Miracle Of The Reality We Live in

It seems like we are more and more technologically driven as a society. We are walking around with hand held mini computers these days, keeping us occupied while we are out and about. I guess the world around us isn't interesting enough for some of us to observe.

It's a virtual reality. There was a big deal about virtual reality for a while back in the 1990's. Putting on the special goggles and seeing a whole new world. It wasn't perfected enough, but fortunately there were online games like Ultima, Everquest, World of War Craft and others where people could create alternate lives.

I am struck by the idea of The Matrix. In the movie, Neo was trying to free everybody from this false realty, though the world awaiting them on the outside was rather dreary thanks to the effects of war. Still, at least that was reality.

What's funny is that the idea of a fully immersive world within a computer program would be appealing to many people. You can taste, feel and smell and so forth. You could be whoever you wanted to be, or at least a more successful you. Some would jump at the chance.

But, I can think of a few things wrong with that idea. First of all, no mater how it felt, it's not real. I have no doubt that technology will take us to a place where we will have a Matrix or Star Trek Hollodeck. The debate will begin then.

More importantly, are we so unimpressed with the miracle that this world is that we have to invent ways to tune out to it? The fact that we are alive at all to experience this existence is incredible. So many things to behold everyday that are not man made, and some of us don't appreciate it.

We need to be careful with this technology and where it takes us. It's nice to play around, but we should never forget the real and beautiful world around us. We should be working harder to make it a better place, rather than creating ways to avoid it. We are lucky to be here at all.