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What’s the point of being so connected if we are so distracted?

A few days ago, I was driving home just a few blocks west of my house when suddenly a female driver on the right lane moved to the left lane in front of me. I had to hit the brakes to avoid the collision. What happened? She was on the phone and did not notice her lane ended.

 

A short time later, I was crossing an intersection with green light for me when a car did not stopped at the red light and almost crashed into my car. We passed so close to each other I could see the young teenager in the other car was sending a text message. He was looking down and did not even once glance at the road.

 

Those experiences of almost being hit by distracted drivers are real but, at the same time, are nothing in comparison with the tragedy that happened in Los Angeles on September 12, 2008, when the engineer of a passenger train was so distracted sending a text message he did not stop the train on time and the train crashed into a cargo train, killing 25 people.

 

That’s why I would like to know what’s the point of being so connected if we are so distracted. What’s the point of being connected to somebody else who is away from us if, in doing so, we are disconnected from the reality around us?

 

In spite of the examples I just shared, this is not a column about the dangers of talking on the phone or sending messages while driving. It should be obvious that the main responsibility of any driver is to pay attending to his or her surroundings.

 

I am concerned about distracted drivers because in their conversations they are always ready to cause a tragedy. But I am even more concerned about drivers and leaders of organizations, companies, agencies, and governments who also seem to be distracted, not knowing where they want to go, and seemingly uninterested in what’s happening around them.

 

Those distracted drivers talking on their cell phones are just an example of those drivers and leaders of all levels (politicians, educators, religious and civic leaders) who, because of their ignorance, inability or distraction, or a combination of all those elements, are not driving their organizations in the best way and according to the rule, and, as a consequence, we all are forced to make sudden changes in our lives just to survive.

 

A week ago I attended a meeting of religious leaders where they talked in great detail about the different activities this group organized or is going to organize, including concerts, seminars, workshops, and special guests.

 

I left the meeting with a bad taste in my mouth, because it was never mentioned, not even once, that there are at least 1,800 homeless students in Denver, mainly Latinos young than 7 years of age.

 

What’s the point, then, of being so connected even with God if we are so unconnected from our very own reality?

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