I was here in Madrid and it was great (save of course for the poor people stuck in elevators and trains for hours). People were out in the streets really living! I really wish there was one day a year at least where they turned our data off and we could just connect to each other and the world again.
Bea! Hey there! I was reading your Substack yesterday. I heard it was amazing. And I was thinking the same thing. That we need a day of this every year. Something that gets us all to reset, reconnect, and remember who we are again. I'm so glad it was a good day for you there in Madrid and you weren't stuck anywhere.
It really should be an international holiday! In Bali they kind of do this for Nyepi - they turn off the internet and radio, and you’re meant to take it as a day of introspection and reflection. Except there you’re not allowed outside at all - also a very nice way to reconnect, but different!
Loved this thanks Karl! I live in FLA-USA and lots of this was super interesting to compare notes on our power losses, which, depending on Mother Nature, can be frequent all summer - or - not. Commonality threads which weave us all through crisis - human nature, human survival - are always interesting.
I enjoy your writing - you are one of the two 'Stacks I read each day and you always give me something good to hang onto and think about as I move through my day. Love ya! -L&B
Boo and Luane! Thank you! I'm glad that you love the work here so much. And that you found parallels with your own lives in FLA. My writing mentor lives out there. And he's had to go dark for a week here and there as Mother Nature has her way with the state. Keep safe!
Bea and I were just chatting about how we could make this into a thing that we do every year. A whole city shuts down, all phones down, and we all just get back to living again.
I love so much about this post. We just returned from a 2 week trip to Spain in preparation for a move this Fall. We heard countless stories of how the Spaniards did the same thing last year with the floods, of traveling outside the city limits to help those in the rural villages in need. Ironically we are moving because we are finally free to do so. The irony comes from the fact that the freedom has not been necessarily of our choosing. We lost our youngest son —who would still be in college -to suicide 3 years ago. But the grief journey has caused us to reflect and understand at the most profound level what really matters in life. So we are choosing freedom to start over and live life differently.
I'm echoing G Lenore here and saying all the best to you on this journey to a new life. That's a powerful way to take what happened and turn it into a tribute to your son and yourselves. Thanks for sharing this.
Laurel, All the best in your journey towards a new life in Espana! May your son rest in the Beauty of your new life too. Thank you for sharing your story.
I envied those who had found such glorious connection in the blackout. I love this article & am gradually winding down my online presence as much as possible. It gives a gorgeous sense of freedom to be "unplugged"
Doesn't it ever Tracey. I treasure my screenless Sundays. They are not always possible to pull off for the whole day—so much of our lives is intertwined on these damn phones. But even a majority day without is a joy.
What a brilliant article. I absolutely and utterly enjoyed reading every word. Loved it!! I was a direct witness of this story. I lived it. I am here in the Iberia peninsula. In Portugal now from LA. also divorced. Also lost everything. You read my mind all the way through paragraph after paragraph. This was and is my life. It is like that. Unbelievable. Do well written. You blew my mind Ha!
Thanks VazAna. Wow it seems like we are living parallel lives. LA, Europe, divorces, losing everything. Gladyou loved the piece and connected with it. And you lived it too!
Great!! Thank you so much for this article. I was in San Francisco during an earthquake where the power got shut off in certain neighborhoods. We had a wonderful time in the streets getting to know people we lived near, becoming a human again together. Love your work Karl. I pretty much got off sub stack too, except for your writings because of your views on getting out of the construct and finding ourselves again. Sharing far and wide this article!!
Thank you G Lenore. I'm so glad I'm a reason to stick around and that you're enjoying the writing so much. I love it here. It's the two way relationship of writing and reading and talking that blows me away after years of writing alone.
Human beings need to value other human beings' live engagements and relationality every day.
It saddens me that people of all ages get lost - almost consumed - within their technological contraptions e.g. mobile phone, computer, AI, robot. They opt out of human interaction.
Human beings will state that they are physically present when in reality their actual - psychological - presence is absent. They opt out of human interaction.
This is a modern-day human tragedy which causes the ending of relationships, closeness and intimacy.
They have opted out of the complexities and richness of human interaction to embrace technological ease.
At Reflex Now, I encourage people to connect or reconnect with others in real time with real relationships. The moment is now to engage with others' realness and aliveness.
I was here in Madrid and it was great (save of course for the poor people stuck in elevators and trains for hours). People were out in the streets really living! I really wish there was one day a year at least where they turned our data off and we could just connect to each other and the world again.
Bea! Hey there! I was reading your Substack yesterday. I heard it was amazing. And I was thinking the same thing. That we need a day of this every year. Something that gets us all to reset, reconnect, and remember who we are again. I'm so glad it was a good day for you there in Madrid and you weren't stuck anywhere.
It really should be an international holiday! In Bali they kind of do this for Nyepi - they turn off the internet and radio, and you’re meant to take it as a day of introspection and reflection. Except there you’re not allowed outside at all - also a very nice way to reconnect, but different!
Loved this thanks Karl! I live in FLA-USA and lots of this was super interesting to compare notes on our power losses, which, depending on Mother Nature, can be frequent all summer - or - not. Commonality threads which weave us all through crisis - human nature, human survival - are always interesting.
I enjoy your writing - you are one of the two 'Stacks I read each day and you always give me something good to hang onto and think about as I move through my day. Love ya! -L&B
Boo and Luane! Thank you! I'm glad that you love the work here so much. And that you found parallels with your own lives in FLA. My writing mentor lives out there. And he's had to go dark for a week here and there as Mother Nature has her way with the state. Keep safe!
Wish I could’ve been there. It sounded brilliant, people became people again and everyone was free. Absolutely loved this!
Bea and I were just chatting about how we could make this into a thing that we do every year. A whole city shuts down, all phones down, and we all just get back to living again.
I love so much about this post. We just returned from a 2 week trip to Spain in preparation for a move this Fall. We heard countless stories of how the Spaniards did the same thing last year with the floods, of traveling outside the city limits to help those in the rural villages in need. Ironically we are moving because we are finally free to do so. The irony comes from the fact that the freedom has not been necessarily of our choosing. We lost our youngest son —who would still be in college -to suicide 3 years ago. But the grief journey has caused us to reflect and understand at the most profound level what really matters in life. So we are choosing freedom to start over and live life differently.
I'm echoing G Lenore here and saying all the best to you on this journey to a new life. That's a powerful way to take what happened and turn it into a tribute to your son and yourselves. Thanks for sharing this.
Laurel, All the best in your journey towards a new life in Espana! May your son rest in the Beauty of your new life too. Thank you for sharing your story.
Great read. Excited to try your power down potluck idea! 👏❤️
I'm going to give this one a whirl too. LMK how yours goes!
Love this so much! Here’s to more offscreen gentle connected in person living! 🙏🏽🤍
I envied those who had found such glorious connection in the blackout. I love this article & am gradually winding down my online presence as much as possible. It gives a gorgeous sense of freedom to be "unplugged"
Doesn't it ever Tracey. I treasure my screenless Sundays. They are not always possible to pull off for the whole day—so much of our lives is intertwined on these damn phones. But even a majority day without is a joy.
What a brilliant article. I absolutely and utterly enjoyed reading every word. Loved it!! I was a direct witness of this story. I lived it. I am here in the Iberia peninsula. In Portugal now from LA. also divorced. Also lost everything. You read my mind all the way through paragraph after paragraph. This was and is my life. It is like that. Unbelievable. Do well written. You blew my mind Ha!
Thanks and take good care.
AMV
Thanks VazAna. Wow it seems like we are living parallel lives. LA, Europe, divorces, losing everything. Gladyou loved the piece and connected with it. And you lived it too!
What a beautiful story to share with us, and such a great reminder to unplug and be still and present when we can. Thank you!
For sure Kaitlin, thank you for reading!
Great!! Thank you so much for this article. I was in San Francisco during an earthquake where the power got shut off in certain neighborhoods. We had a wonderful time in the streets getting to know people we lived near, becoming a human again together. Love your work Karl. I pretty much got off sub stack too, except for your writings because of your views on getting out of the construct and finding ourselves again. Sharing far and wide this article!!
Thank you G Lenore. I'm so glad I'm a reason to stick around and that you're enjoying the writing so much. I love it here. It's the two way relationship of writing and reading and talking that blows me away after years of writing alone.
Human beings need to value other human beings' live engagements and relationality every day.
It saddens me that people of all ages get lost - almost consumed - within their technological contraptions e.g. mobile phone, computer, AI, robot. They opt out of human interaction.
Human beings will state that they are physically present when in reality their actual - psychological - presence is absent. They opt out of human interaction.
This is a modern-day human tragedy which causes the ending of relationships, closeness and intimacy.
They have opted out of the complexities and richness of human interaction to embrace technological ease.
At Reflex Now, I encourage people to connect or reconnect with others in real time with real relationships. The moment is now to engage with others' realness and aliveness.