C:\ Ping 123.456.78.900

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

*sigh* That is how life is sometimes. All of the sudden you get no response. Packets drop and you find yourself frantically trying to figure out why and how to fix the connection… or even get a response. First is a reactive approach as you tap the screen… *tink, tink* Hey! Where the heck did you go?! Then you find yourself searching and saying things like, “We used to be open and communicate freely. Just a response would be nice. It wouldn’t have to be big, just a teensy little response. One response -- just one. Hello? Hello? Hello! HELLO!” Then you begin the self doubt and think why me? We were talking just fine and then nothing. Nada. Zip. May be it is a hardware or software failure on my part. Then you realize the connection is gone or changed on the other side. Why change the IP address in mid-stream communications? It just causes all kinds of problems. People get frustrated, may be lash out at co-workers. Our communication really isn’t so different from a giant computer network when you think about it, peripherals included. Little things like emotions make us human, but even so, our actions sometimes make us more computer-like than we think…dropping connections and all, shutting down on others. Not that I am going to convert and be a hacker, a Borg, and do the computer dance all of the time or anything, but I think most people who have worked on or with a networked computer can relate. May be not.

Either way, I know that the people close to me have seen through the screen. It is murky and sometimes clear but the reference to the instance of an object, time, place or event can be found in anything I write about. That being stated, my hat is off with a Terabyte+Infinity of love and respect for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation – isolated with no connection. My advice is to just keep trying to ping others and make that connection. That is all we can ever do. Hopefully we all will reach levels of connections and communications that won’t break.