A few days ago some countries in Europe suffered a blackout, and anybody who knows how the West works knows that an electricity blackout can be disastrous.
They were lucky that it happened at the end of spring, otherwise a blackout in winter or high summer would have come with deadly consequences. But much as their systems ground to a halt for a day or so–we are talking trains, trams, airports, internet, etc – they rediscovered small pleasures that had been stolen by technology.
In Spain, people were forced out of their hot and dark houses and into city squares where they read books, talked to family and friends, read books and even jammed to the lone busker’s music, instead of listening while hurrying off somewhere.
It looked cozy and old school. I realized, technology is fast turning our lives into what we are seeing in Europe. Well, for us, an electricity blackout is nothing to write home about, but this reliance on technology hit close to home. Inter-personal relationships have been killed by over-reliance on gadgets.
Simple pleasures in life are no longer possible as the hustle overtakes everything in importance. Some of us don’t remember how to have fun, anymore! We too need slowing down.
I saw people come close to a mental breakdown when the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 were forced on us. People had to talk to their family members and for some it felt like they were being introduced to strangers!
Once in a while, allow yourself a gadgets and Internet fast; we are losing track of what is truly important. Now bedrooms have television sets, so even watching TV together is a thing of the past.
I remember as a child we used to gather around the radio every Tuesday night to listen to a Luganda play on Radio Uganda (Wookulira) and we would laugh at the jokes together as each of us drew their own imaginations of that Muduuma village, in which the play was set.
Now, everyone has a smartphone with radio, Netflix, Spotify, Apple Music, name it, such that even a family road trip will have everyone lost in their own world and headsets! What a lonely world we have created for ourselves! Lord have mercy.