The Importance of Being Earnest

I have tried to live my life (to paraphrase Einstein) as if each moment were a miracle. However, the reality is most humans are average, including myself. Don't get me wrong, I believe we have moments of greatness, but I would never put my golf game on par with Tiger Woods; my walk down the avenue of outdoor adventure with Picabo Street; or my generous (not quite saintly) nature to Mother Theresa. Individuals who truly define and become synonymous with their area of expertise and/or brilliance allow us to strive for and achieve more than we could ever expect of ourselves and, perhaps, each other.

In fact, it is our bursts of greatness and our procilivity to pitfalls that make us human. (You can see the little guy in Pitfall losing his grasp on the rope across the row of crocodiles right now.)

What strikes me, however, is how the proliferation of technology has created applications that encourage us to throw modesty (in the altruistic sense) to the wind and unveil a naked body comprised of silicone parts.

Sound funny? Does it not make sense. Well, let me back up...

MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. All have opened the lines of communication for many, but is it for the collective good? I was at the salon the other day, and this woman in her late 50s insisted Facebook allowed her to keep up with her family because she could just log in, type an update, chat, or respond to an email. I said I could agree with her on that; however, is it really necessary to know what someone is doing at that very moment in time? Is it that important, let alone interesting?

It seems we are building ourselves up to be more important than we actually are - we are becoming silicone parts - sure, the parts look good and everything we say sounds good, but is it original? If it is original, how interesting is it, and do people really want to know you are cleaning your toilet at 3 a.m. with a toothbrush?

In a world where trophies are awarded to children who finish fourth, and self-esteem is a multi-tiered approach to making sure someone's feelings aren't hurt, I question how great apps like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter are because they encourage us to embrace narcissim with open arms. They encourage us to reveal everything about ourselves and more - just click here.

I won't lie and tell you I've never used any of these apps before, but I prefer to connect with people in the flesh and on the phone (when geography makes it impossible). It's just I am beginning to wonder where real life ends and the electronic tether begins.

I'll have to think about that some more. If I were religious about updating my status, I'd tell you I'm heading to the bathroom but maybe I won't. But, wait I just did, so I guess that makes it interesting. Wonder what happens when Heidi Klum or Brad Pitt takes a s@#$ and they Twitter about it.