"Een begrafenis was altijd een moment van contemplatie. Maar toen Sherry Turkle onlangs een vriend begroef, zaten talloze mensen stiekem hun mail te checken en te sms'en, hun telefoon verbergend achter het programma van de herdenkingsdienst. 'Ik hield het gewoon niet zo lang vol zonder mijn telefoon', verontschuldigde een vrouw na afloop. Ziedaar het moderne leven, zegt Turkle. We zijn fysiek op één plaats, maar in gedachten ergens anders. Zelfs op de meest indringende momenten wordt onze aandacht afgeleid door een onophoudelijke stroom van veelal uitermate vluchtige mailtjes, sms'jes, tweets en Facebookberichten. Er is veel communicatie, maar weinig contact". Peter Giesen in De Volkskrant, 27 augustus 2011.

THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World".

Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes: 1 Egypt's Great Pyramids, 2 Taj Mahal, 3 Grand Canyon, 4 Panama Canal, 5 Empire State Building, 6 St. Peter's Basilica, 7 China's Great Wall.

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many". The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help". The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are: 1 To See, 2 To Hear, 3 To Touch, 4 To Taste, 5 To  Feel, 6 To Laugh, 7 And to Love". The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous!

A gentle reminder -- that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

Don't be too busy to pass this along.