When I interjected a bit of
'Papa knowledge' at our annual Christmas eve dinner conversation, close to four weeks ago, now, Michelle gave her skeptical look of “I have doubt about that, dad,”
Mitch seemed inquisitive, Grace a bit interested, Clair unequivocally unimpressed,
altogether. Bettyann gave her needed support with smiles and a kiss of being an
impressed helpmate. As 2017 was drawing to a close, and as has been my habit
for the past three or four years, I had turned to the Oxford University Press “Word
of the Year,” site, which bestows
honor on a new or old word that is chosen for its representation of the year’s
cultural milieu. There was consideration for past year’s awards in the UK or
the US of words all the way from “nomophobia” (anxiety caused by being
without one’s mobile phone—from no and mo(bile) + phobia), “YOLO” (an acronym
for you only live once) and the related “FOMO” (the fear of missing out on a
social event), “second screening” (the activity of watching television whilst
simultaneously using a smartphone, laptop, etc.), “selfie” (a picture of
oneself taken from a smartphone and uploaded to a social media site), and
“bashtagging” (using a company’s promotional hashtag on Twitter to criticize or
complain about the company, rather than endorse it). One word has been judged
as not only reflective of the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of this past year,
but as having lasting potential as a word of cultural significance. That word is… “youthquake,” chosen by Oxford Dictionaries’
editors. They define Youthquake, as a noun - ‘a significant cultural, political, or social change arising
from the actions or influence of young people.’
How often have I been victimized
by the youthquake? Especially the influences of the technology, social media
culture, twitter feeds, and smartphones, which conquer and so adroitly use. And I
don't think I've even begun to use the ways the youth obtain, retain, and proclaim
information; on the ways they interact with each other. I’m more interested in,
I suppose, on the ways in which I see as a result of it. Many of the shortlisted choices for the UK
and US words of the past few years demonstrate how society is adapting
linguistically; it is perhaps ironic that a dictionary should choose to praise
words that are driven by a need to use fewer words—texting shorthand,
programming acronyms, and twitter-speak. I’ve noted in my curiosity that studies
on information behavior such as one conducted by scholars from University
College London suggests that society may well be in the midst of a
reprogramming of the way a large majority of us read and think. Some of their
observations are fascinating, yet, others are downright scary, not so much for
me, but cause alarm for my grandchildren.
On the other hand, I see folks, a decade older than myself, sitting next
to me in class, using their ipad, iphones, and other devises, unquestionably shaping
a way the world is viewed and navigated. I've notice and am deeply impressed each and every time my brother-in-law immediately reaches for his iPhone to help search for the 'truth of the matter.' And he is not even a decade younger than myself.
As I am thinking about
it, as someone who spends time on this computer writing, one of my most
cherished and simple technological functions continues to be the ability to
“undo” something. With the flip of two fingers—one on “command” and the other
on the letter “z”—I can remove the sentence I just added to the page, take back
the word that did not quite fit, or reverse the effect of every previous
command and restore my document to its original condition. No matter how many
actions I have taken on the page, I can undo every one of them—and boy is this useful
at times when my mind runs wild! Technologically, it is a feature to which I
have grown quite accustomed—so much so, that I find myself believing
haphazardly that nothing is ever really lost, and that everything can be
undone, erased, or retrieved. More so, I cannot begin to calculate how many
times I have thought about this function when I have needed it in places far
from my computer screen. I picture my fingers snapping up scenes in my day as
if my life was on a screen being edited.
Of course, then there’s
reality… never taking long to jar me back into a world with vastly different
rules of operation. I have never been able to undo words that have already been
said or take back actions that were less opportune than I anticipated. It’s not
like the rearview mirror of my Rav4, as hindsight, by definition, is a vision
that is no longer available, no matter how urgently I would turn back time and
undo what has been done. God, You know how I’ve tried, but my actions and
inactions, words, lies, and blind spots cannot be expunged like a spreadsheet
or a document. Here, as a believer, my resolve that my “yes” be yes, that
consequences be weighed, and the cost of my action or inaction be counted at
the outset is a far wiser and practical vision. And of course, I always find it
to be far harder work. “But which of you,” asks Christ, “intending to build a tower, does
not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to
complete it?… Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will
not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose
the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?”
Warning the crowds to
count the costs of following him, Jesus spoke in terms that would cause the faint and the indecisive to run. He also begged them to see that how one should live,
what one does and says, matters deeply and cannot be undone. I’ll never be able
to undo foolish words spoken in anger, the regret of a lost opportunity, or the
act of walking away from someone in need. Nor can I afford trying to undo my life that missed the cultivation of a nearby Christ while I have my hands on other plows.
Heavenly Father, Lover
of my soul, I choose to live more dynamically this year. I see and understand where,
many times over, Your Son, Jesus bids me and sent the Holy Spirit, along side, in
assisting to fashion my legacy, from this day forward, ever looking to the One
who is, in fact, able to undo my life that is anything less. Amen
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