Cole Summer

In this Tallahassee summer, I don't need to pop a molly to start sweatin'. 

All I need to do is step outside in this mid-June, blistering heat and I’m sweatin’.

Imagine walking 5 steps! I don’t even want to picture running.

Woo!

But don't put the blame on the summer heat for our natural, human laziness. 

It's just easier to complete tasks that require less energy because it's comfortable. As a result, our air conditioning systems suffer greatly as each grind and clutter in their gray boxes to spew breaths of fresh, 68 degree air into our rooms. 

Eventually, our bank accounts also suffer because the light bill will most likely be in the triple digits. 

So, is it wrong for "maximizing" efficiency or is it okay to accept a spontaneous wave of laziness? 

Walter Benjamin's "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" speaks of the importance of appreciating the presence of a piece of a work rather than photograph and the impact of human interaction of creating the reproductions. 

Benjamin writes, "During long periods of history, the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity’s entire mode of existence."  

You nailed it, Walter Benjamin. 

Each decade of time or "era" contains a certain lifestyle that matches the mode of existence. Simultaneously, our sense perception adjusts. 

In our case, the ridiculous acceleration of technology in the 21st century has affected our existence. Technology has become helpful and useful for the connecting people and distributing information quickly. 

Along the way, this technology wave became more and more useful for our daily lives. From answering machines and microwaves to iPhones and Netflix, the huge improvements make living heavenly. 

Facebook's, Instagram's, and Twitter's revelance in this "technological boom" is obvious as well.

These social networks are designed to keep people in touch, but also to share ideas and events. These sites have such a high upside, but a new problem arises. 

Physical, social interactions are at risk. Just as Benjamin tells us it is more important to be in the presence of a work to fully appreciate its value, our daily conversations are just as critical. 

Human interaction is important for our social development. The usage of these social networks, along with access to unlimited text messaging, have almost replaced the mode of communication, from in person to phone-to-phone.

We risk losing character, charm, and charisma, but smile at the thought of another glossy iPhone. 

Technology is designed to help our lives, not to be the sole focus of our time. Instead of complicating and dominating our lives, it should compliment and direct us in the right direction. 

So what if you sweat on your walk to the bus stop? 

Shy away from the laziness, unglue your eyes from the Apple-product screens, and remember people have been around longer than these cute machines. 

This could just be another phase. 

Because if we continue to continue in the direction of communication through social medias and cellular devices, we'll miss out on the beautiful moments of life.

You could get lucky enough to meet your favorite artist of all-time, as my friend Arisse did:

Arisse (right),  Rapper J. Cole (upper left) in VIP at Miami

 

   




















If we become distant socially, even with our advancements, we risk of letting our heroes down. The same heroes that encouraged us to make the world in the future a better place.

We have the resources. We have the technology. We have more than enough people.

We have to stay connected, not just viritually, so we don't disappoint our heroes. 

Right, LeBron James?