What a time it is. real. unreal. AI. real life. virtual reality.
What is this reality anyway? How on earth can we know?
and in the midst of all of this…hello? is there anybody there??
Over the past month or so - it's been while since I managed to get to writing - many things have happened and unhappened (new times deserve a new word , no?).
Something that has really struck me is the spread of AI and what I am going to call synthetic reality - which is very much the opposite direction to the one that Natalie and I are moving in. We believe in life, nature, real connection = within and between us and others, and embodiment - which we might sum up as being aware of and connected to our body, our feelings, and our experience of living.
All the while writers no longer need to write, we don’t need a doctor to diagnose our ills, and its been many years since we needed to remember a phone number ( dial up telephone anybody??!)…..
I grew up with parents that didnt let us watch mainstream television - which was torture a lot of the time, but I appreciate it more with every passing year. My fathers lament at the destruction of our capacity to focus with the way commercial TV operated in the 80’s is the seed of my own current pain when for example I search for recipe ideas and find a bunch of words assembled into nothing that I can call a recipe. hm. I guess we aren’t really being encouraged towards good or real food so much these days either.
Thankfully Dad was the cook and invented recipes all the time….
Ive less time for social media and things internet.
I would much rather be out with Ziggy who is turning into the most awesome dog already, or the goats and chickens, or hanging about in the paddocks.
there is so much life out there
so much aliveness to experience
so much happening
so much real-ness to experience
I have been shocked to read numerous emails extolling the virtues of getting AI/ChatGPT to write for you. Personally, I get excited every time my email provider tells me my text is not skimmable 'enough' - I’m more the boutique charcuterie or exotic vegetable type experience than fast food. It feels more and more imperative to me to tune into what I want experience and share with the world - you included. Its not about whether you like it or not. Its also not bland like McDonald’s that tastes the same no matter what country you might eat it in - on purpose.
Sure you know what you are getting. But nobody likes the gherkin. I’m not even sure you are supposed to.
life.
where is the life?
is there life in the words you are reading??? Can you tell I am NOT AI or chat anything??.. apart from at times in appropriately chatty....
We just got off the phone to 'The Bank"... who are happy to process fraudulent charges to our credit card, but cant tolerate the aliveness (read: emotional tone of voice) of an angry frustrated human who is having to prove her identity to a human with the connecting ability of a bot. AI bot that is. Our animals connect deeply and communicate their needs, this ‘human’ could only work to a script. They want a receipt for a purchase we didn’t make in a state and town and shop we didn’t go to before they will refund us?! Yay for the system.
Yes, I digress, of sorts.
What Natalie and I, and all the beings here on our farm, are all about is LIFE. and living it. IN FULL COLOUR.
We have just had the most awesome 5 days of Rebirthing Breathwork Immersion with 15 incredible and brave humans - all diving into being alive, and feeling our aliveness.
The connection between that and The Bank - the (possible) human on the other end of the line could/would only talk to us as long as there was NO emotion. Any emotive expression coming out through our frustration, even though not directed at or attacking the individual in anyway essentially got us 'carded' to use a sporting term. It was amazing he didn't hang up on us for misbehaving, it was very close..
This experience showed starkly the way our world-at-large is heading, and how it has changed over the past few years in particular. We have learnt to be more comfortable online - virtual connection. To text rather than call, get food rather than nourish ourselves - it’s all about convenience, jumping through hoops, being acceptable (regardless of what has been declared 'acceptable'). And so much more.
How often in life and in how many ways are we increasingly and increasingly shut down from our emotions?? By parents (don't cry) , loved ones (you'll be ok), our selves (I can't be negative), The Bank (behave yourself)...etc
I’ve worked with teenagers who can’t bear their own internal thoughts because they are not beige enough, they don’t comply to the socially acceptable -but as Dr Seuss said “why fit in when you where born to stand out”, and they have no idea what to do with an emotion - how many of us do these days??
Back to our Breathwork Immersion, and what we, Nat and I are so passionate about -feeling our feelings - being alive - connecting - fostering life in all its myriad facets
It was deeply enheartening t share this space with these wonderful humans being and feeling with the filters falling away while we found out and experienced more of who we are - gorgeous, wonderful feeling humans. Getting more and more into living, and living in our bodies as well as beyond.
This is where we belong, in our Aliveness
this is where we are - here. now. alive.
where are You??
(how does it feel)
Is there anyBody there??