1d. LIVING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD! A FICTION AND A MESMERIZING DECEPTION!

I am very grateful for the technological advances that allow us to get in touch with many unknown friends, as I consider all of those who by chance, curiosity, or benevolent understanding, get to read, and hopefully consider, what I humbly place on these pages.

I also really enjoy all the attractive features that the publicity industry provides to all those who, being at the same time monetary targets for the tourist, luxury and entertainment.

My TV set and my laptop are my windows to everything that is going on all around. In this virtual world, and through these already indispensable devices, we are able to share the enthusiasm of those, who, by their rightful choice and alternative consideration, decides to enjoy what this world has to offer.

We also have the opportunity, if we desire so, to get acquainted with the hard realities of those less privileged, who only have their imagination to fill the ragged voids in their almost, if not completely so, lives.

Virtualism has come! It is already here to stay! It is neither good nor bad! It depends how we visualize it and how we use it! It can be a good thing if we learn to avoid its dangers of isolating ourselves from what should be always important to us.

What´s virtual?

A man was checking internet on his laptop

while waiting to be served at a restaurant…

While doing so a little child came to his side

tugging at his pants and begging him for some coins.

When asked why he wanted them the child answered…

to buy a bread to feed his hunger.

The man asked the waiter to give the child a bread,

and kept on checking the internet on his laptop.

Distracted by the emails and their content the man was laughing,

and forgot about the child,

until he heard him asking if cheese and butter

could be added to the bread he had received.

The man agreed but told the child to stay put

so he could enjoy what he was reading.

The child then asked him what he was reading,

and the man answered:

Emails!

The child kept on asking… What emails are?

The man answered: Letters on the internet! Internet?

Then the man explained it was a place in the computer

where you could share everything in a virtual way.

Virtual? The man kept on trying to explain,

saying it was an imaginary place

that can´t be touched or reached,

but it seemed tangible and real.

That´s good! The child said.

Now I know I live in a virtual world!

How is that? Do you have a computer? Asked the man.

The child said: No, but my life is like that, a virtual one!

My mother is almost always absent and I rarely see her!

I care for my little crying brother, and give him water,

and he believes is soup, what I am giving him.

My older sister goes out, everyday, to sell her body,

but I don´t understand, because she always comes back home,

and she still has her body.

My father is in jail, but I imagine we are all together at home,

as a family, a lot of food, many toys,

and me going to school to become a doctor, some day.

In that moment, that man understood,

and in him, every one of us should,

what a nonsensical virtualism is this we are living in…

the cruel reality we daily see, personally or in the media,

that we watch as if were just a virtual occurrence,

to be forgotten after the next entertaining

or publicity commercial.

There are two decisions to make.
To keep on doing what we do,

everyone for him or her!

Or aspire to inspire before we die,
doing something to change things,
one at a time!