Sitting at the airport flying back from Cape Town I could not help but notice everyone buried in their phones.
There was an elderly couple sitting staring into space. They were basically the only ones not being entertained by their little box. The rest were totally consumed.
It is indeed the sign of the times. I wondered where I fitted into this new world as my inner and outer world has changed so much. (Conversation for another day).
My time in Cape Town was interesting, as I was driving on the M5 there were tyres being burnt and traffic all backed up. I thought this kind of thing only happened on our side of the country. I realised as long as there are human beings there will always be problems 
Earlier in the morning I must have missed an accident by about 15 min as the body of the young man was draped over the steering wheel as I slowly drove passed I caught a glimpse of his peaceful face and really wondered why I had to see that.
It got me thinking 
that when we leave in the morning we truly don’t know when its our time to be called home. I doubt yesterday when he left home he certainly never thought that he would leave behind all his belongings, family and friends.
Yet we treat one another including ourselves as though we will be here forever.
Sitting at the airport watching everyone and I realised how in the old days we used to pull out a good book to read while we were waiting and now we are consumed by a false illusion of things happening on our tiny screens.
That really has and is what life has become about, especially for the younger generation, as life has truly changed. While I believe we have to keep up with the times we still have to remain grounded in knowing who we truly are, and why are we here.
I listened with an open mind this past weekend how there were conversations about AI . I was one of those people up in arms about all this technology and how it disconnects us.
However, I realised that when digital came in it took over my craft, photography, that I had spent 35 years mastering in the darkroom. It has made it so easy for everyone to take photos and here I had spent a lifetime studying light, texture composition. Phones and computers just replaced it all. People now rave about images that have no soul etc. It is now, instant. I have had to adapt and so have we all, especially writers and designers.
This is the new world the new age we have to learn to go with the flow with it. It’s part of the transformation no matter how challenging it is for us in the older generation.
However, just like that young man never knew he was not going to make it home yesterday, we cannot lose touch that each and everyone one of us will depart this world – it is wise to remember why we are here. To remain connected to our spiritual and human side to life. To question and to know the spiritual side of ourselves and to understand that all of life is impermanent. For us not to become fixated on our problems and people.
Once we have this true understanding it allows us to release suffering and not take things so seriously or personally.
Its good for us to stop and see It’s a beautiful 
place to be in, getting older, reminiscing of how things used to be. It gives us a good understanding that everything and everyone is simply passing through on a journey. Living a balanced life 
everything in moderation while always connected to the Great Spirit that brought us here and will take us home. 
that is where our focus should ultimately be.
Love Marlene
P.S. If you’re ready to live a more balanced life, my Wild at Heart Online Retreat may be just the support you need.