How to Bridge the Distance

I have been pondering for some time how the Internet has brought the whole world into any room that has a computer. Much like the advent of television in the Fifties, its a brave new world (again), one in which people can now see and hear things that happen further and further away any time they should want to.

Television played a large role in "flattening" the accents (that none of you admit to having) and dialects that were far more pronounced and pervasive only a few decades ago in the United States. What changes will the Internet bring?

The Internet has gone a few miles further - and now, I can see (and hear) "English" as it is spoken in Australia, New Zealand, Alaskan First Peoples, Wales, Scotland, England, Chatters / Corkenese, and even the heart of Europe on demand. I find reading "foreign" English entertaining and realize that now is the time to do it. As the world continues to virtually shrink, the nuances and variations of the language will fade away - perhaps for the best for those that are frustrated daily when it comes to communicating - and perhaps its not good at all.

The next frontier will be crossing the "barrier" of other languages - which have been slowly absorbing English words for new to their culture things, which perhaps unfortunately include words like "McDonalds", and "Coke". Some cultures have resisted this - the French immediately come to mind... and other cultures such as the Spanish speaking ones in America are resisting the whole language. English and perhaps Chinese may be the basis of the next generation world language. Who knows.

I've gotten side tracked - what started this chain of mental noise was pondering on how to bridge the "final frontier"... and that is bring the visceral unspoken "words" that a picture or image contains to those that cannot see them and the emotional power of the words that are sung to those that cannot hear them. My last entries have been "overloaded" with images... images that, hopefully, express at least a part of what I wanted to share with those that viewed them.

Nagging me, in the back of my mind was the thought that - this isn't an all-inclusive way to communicate. I have a severe hearing loss - and on days when the Tinnitus (ringing in my ears) flares up, I am the one that is excluded - from the music that others share amongst themselves. I'm not in anyway suggesting that the music stop - I'm only trying to say this is why I am looking for a "bridge"... for those that cannot see.

Some of you have made an effort to include me with the music, telling me the names of the songs and/or the lyrics so that I too, can share in the visceral. For that I am eternally grateful. Now its my turn to build a bridge - and I need to think of a way to do it.