Vol III: #68 Nature Over Tech
Yesterday, as I do every morning, I asked Alexa for a weather report and the device said to expect a cloudy and cool day. Great, I sarcastically thought as I lay in bed, another drab day. After a few more moments I crawled out of bed and opened my blings. The sky was clear and turning yellow, the moon still visible on the horizon to the west, not a cloud in sight. Within the hour, the sun cleared the eastern mountains, alone and confident. In fact, the sun shined brightly as he passed over Redding, beautiful and confident- though a few puffy clouds joined him for the afternoon. The sunshine was a welcome sight after weeks of rain and snow.
Today, my technology device told me to expect clouds and rain and wind. As I type a chunky wet snow is starting to cover my back porch. Thankfully, the temperature is too high for the snow to live long. And I choose to remind myself of what’s to come this summer. Give me all the wet snow and rain and dreary gray days. Soon enough, the clouds and rain will give way, as they always do, to relentless and fierce heat. Accordingly, from May to September, I do not need Alexa to tell me what to expect of the weather.
Whenever Alexa get’s it wrong or the Wifi goes out, I’m reminded of this fact: technology is and always will be imperfect. May it always be so. The human desire to control our environment often leads to more harm than good. And while I appreciate modern farming, X-rays, and airplanes, Nature will always be the greatest and highest form of art. She will always be unpredictable (yet reliable) and glorious.
What a joy, to be part of a living masterpiece. What a gift.
