Privacy

 

Of late I'm feeling very out of touch with the world.  Times have moved on and the world really belongs to people younger than I am.  I didn't think I would let this happen but it seems to be something that is out of my control, the world is moving on and in many ways I am not a part of it.

And I find I don't mind. 

One thing that strikes me is the difference in how people seem to feel about privacy.  I see that in the incredibly personal things people post online, blog, and podcast about - things that I would consider my business and no one else's.  Their lives and opinions are out there for the world to see, sympathize with, ridicule, whatever. 

I also notice it in clothing.  This exposure of the body with skimpy or tight clothes.  There seems to be no sense of the integrity of one's body, of the personal rather than the public.  Of a me that I don't expose to the world, just maybe to a trusted few.

There's also the seeming need to be constantly in contact with others.  I know I'm and introvert and tend to need time on my own, but out in the city I'm surrounded by people nattering/texting away on their phones, and I'm sure they do the same at home.  I like being out of reach.  I remember 30 years ago you went on holiday and you were really out of touch with home - long distance was expensive and in a home emergency it might require the police to track you down.  It was such a freeing feeling to be going on holiday, to be really getting away form everything and not knowing at all what was happening at home.