The Value of Connection

The value of connection;

People ask me, “Why do you go through the work of doing shows in person?”  They are talking about driving to a location, setting up a 10x10 display for 3 days and hanging your art, being in the booth for those days, tearing everything down and packing it up and finally driving home.  I like meeting people.  I live in a residential neighborhood because I want to interact with other people and being social.  That is why we are so involved with Facebook, for the connection and maybe a sense of community.

Facebook has become a powerful tool for connectivity.  We can share our perspective, meet new people across the world, share our hobbies, our work, our family and friends.  The problem with this social engine is that it has become so huge and since we demand that Meta police it, they have created an algorithm that has morphed into an AI to monitor the whole thing.  There is no way to contact a single person about a problem with the system.

I have a neighbor who is a wonderful person with mobility issues due to age. She is in a period of transition where she is trying to decide to stay in her home or move to something smaller.  It is the natural progression as we age, do we stay in our home which is to big for one person to take care of or do we move into another place; either with our family or a retirement community.  My mother has her grandson living with her to help and she has friends that she gets out for.  My neighbor has let her world get a bit smaller every year to the point where she is struggling to find a new social outlet.

Years ago, my grandmother had the same issues.  She ended up grocery shopping once a week and relying on her family to be her society.  She moved into a mother-in-law place next to my mom.  She ended up turning to Facebook.  She did Facebook but she missed interacting with people.

I like Facebook, but it isn’t a complete connection.  We are loosing the full experience of the subconscious communication of body language and facial cues.  Touch, such an important connection; isn’t something you experience with social media.  There is a transfer of energy with touch, be it the heat we feel or something metaphysical.  That is why I do the physical effort of doing shows; to make a full connection.  Shaking hands, seeing facial cues and reading body language helps me be approachable and keeps my soul enriched.

I was recently put into Facebook jail and I don’t know why.  The algorithm said I know what I did, like a 2 dimensional parent giving me vague correction.  I couldn’t contact anyone to plead my case, there is no number to call.  Because of that, I lost my connection to all of you.  Instagram is a Meta product so I was shut off from that as well.  That is why you didn’t see me.  I will keep posting my blog and if you look, from here on out; there will always be a fresh blog up on my website.  If you want to be on my mailing list, email me at supert-rex@hotmail.com.  The mailing list link on my website has never worked.  I’ll always be here, I like talking to you.