Spunky Homeschool

Finding the Balance

Apr. 5, 2006 at 9:31 PM

Homeschooling

This article Surrounded by Lonliness challenged my thinking today. Read the whole thing but here's the part that grabbed my attention,
I want to highlight two problems with our culture. The first is that we have little real communal interaction. The second is that we have little quality isolation. A good life needs a healthy balance of communion and isolation. When these are not in balance, both community and inner life suffers. We have replaced true community with virtual interaction, and true isolation with distraction. What we need is a revival of both true community and true isolation.
Let's be real, the virtual world is not real.I've seen the term "community" springing up around the net lately.

But are they true communities? What are the characteristics that make community real. Can an online community be a "real community"? Should it replace "real community"? In a globalized world is physical community still important? I'm not disregarding the valuable input I received and hopefully give online. But I want to make sure that my online involvement doesn't jeopardize my "real life" involvement. {Hugs} will never replace the warmth of two arms holding someone who is hurting.

We also live in an "electronic isolation". We may be physically alone but not isolated.

What is true isolation? This is a tough one for me. I'm a people person. I love public speaking and engaging conversation. However, it is in the times of quiet that I am far less comfortable. I squirm at silence and will often reach for something, anything to speak to me. Even without my help, our culture seems to be drowning the silence in a sea of voices. Cell phones, TV, radios, iPods, and MP3's are all shouting into our ears, minds, and heart - listen to me. Yet it is in the stillness that God says, "listen, and know that I am God."

Where is the balance? How do you turn off without tuning out? I'm not sure, but I want to find out.

5 Comments and Trackbacks

posted by jacobsacademy on Apr. 5, 2006 at 10:44 PM

Yes, I agree - everyone who reads your post should read the entire article you are posting about - it is quite thought provoking - epecially his comments about "good marriages" and "when possible, live near family...." which leads me to comment this - THIS is the matter of family - "what will Johnny want to be when he grows up?" It's the "want to be" that has been a key component of families being separated over the last few decades - thus resulting in geography so far apart as well as "state of mind" far apart. I hope that Johnny will want to be "Johnny" when he grows up as opposed to being identified by the occupation he pursues for financial support of himself and his family - for when we lose the identity of who we are - our family matters very little. Our sense of community (or communal outreach and interaction) begins with our family.........at least in my opinion.

Another thought: the Internet has provided enormous "convenience" to the communication world - however, no amount email will ever substitute the sound and emotion of one's voice in conversation - even by a cell phone.

Excellent article with numerous topics/thoughts to digest and dissect........thank you for posting this one - I will have to read and re-read!

Harriette

posted by on Apr. 6, 2006 at 12:35 AM

Well, this goes right in hand with what I've been reading lately. I just finished two books on spiritual formation, both of which emphasized the need for the discipline of solitude. Now I'm wondering how on earth to find solitude, as a mom of five young children. It's very difficult to get up early after nursing a newborn through the night, but I'm thinking it's the only way. Maybe the communing with God offsets the grouchy-mama syndrome--I don't know. I haven't yet summoned the gumption to do it. :)

Thanks for the link! It was a good read.

Edited by SusannahCox on Apr. 5, 2006 at 9:35 PM

posted by Boltbabe on Apr. 6, 2006 at 12:57 AM

Oh, I so need to think on this one.

posted by Pattycake on Apr. 6, 2006 at 5:52 AM

These are things I think about. Especially replacing on-line community with in-person community. I have no problem isolating to my bedroom with a good book, or letting my thoughts turn to God and my life, ruminating these things around. I would like to cut the on-line world down considerably, for our whole family. My children will tell me "they need to turn the computers on to find out what time ... if someone is going ... if someone needs a ride." I point to the phone, and they say they don't have phone numbers. All of their friends communicate this way, so it would be hard to take it away entirely. It is the world communication system right now. I don't think we can turn it off comfortably, but I DO need to find a balance.

P.S. I had real trouble reading the article. VERY small print. I went into "view" and put it on the largest size print and it was still too small. So I didn't read it thoroughly.

posted by bwktbarr on Apr. 7, 2006 at 8:34 AM

I lived in San Francisco for a year as a young adult. Like most other big cities, it is crowded with people living very close together. But one of the things that struck and surprised me most about that city was how very sad and lonely everyone seemed, and how people avoided looking at other people. I felt very alone whenever I was out, the more so because I was surrounded by so many people who acted like I was invisible. And I just remember looking at all the tall apartment buildings and houses pressed together covering the hills, and thinking of the huge number of people all living together, who didn't know or trust each other.

Thanks for the article. It was very thought-provoking.

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