Electronic connections between people

Every once in a while the depth of changes that have occurred in recent years really smacks me along the side of the head. The internet and electronic instruments have certainly changed the world -- even how we think. Further, they have drastically changed relationships between members of our species (humans).

I was reminded of this only this morning after receiving an email from our friend, Marta Fuster Roca. Marta lives in the southern Mexico town of Oaxaca. But, we did not meet her there. We met her while strolling around Pompeii (the ancient Roman town that was covered by the volcano, Vesuvius). During our afternoon together we found we had much in common. Later, we exchanged addresses and went our separate ways; we back to Rome and she continued on to Florence.

With my trusty pocket camera I took a photo of Marta. With the help of my computer I later sent the picture to her in Mexico. But astoundingly, I could also send that photo anywhere in the world instantly.

I will admit that perhaps I am so astonished by all this because The Hired Man has become a little 'long of tooth', meaning I am now an older fellow. Heck, I can remember the use of old crank telephones. There, instead of a phone number or an email address, folks were identified as "two longs and a short."

These days, folks who want to know about Rock Eddy Bluff Farm, simply go to www.rockeddy.com If they would like to book a vacation or getaway here, they can check availability and reserve right on line. The system then sends them a confirmation with lots of information, including driving directions. Then, it also informs us so we can prepare for their visit. All of this takes place in the cloud; we can access any of it from any computer anywhere.

Well, Marta's missive this morning was to show us a Chinese version of Swan Lake. http://www.nzwide.com/swanlake.htm It is beautiful and quite different from what you might expect. (Oh yes, it is a video. It shows people moving!)

Thanks Marta!