*IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL*

Loved that ride at Disney, It’s a Small World After All… but I’ve realized something very important… that is impacting human and social relations on a weird scale and in an awkward way.

“The world is not as big as you think it is!”;

“The world just keeps getting smaller and smaller”;

“Wow, it’s such a small world. Fancy meeting you here…”;

“Well you know, it’s a small world – getting smaller by the day”;

“Wouldn’t you know! It’s a small world after all…”;

The underlying assumption is that people are getting closer together… that we are getting access to what and who we need when we need it and in a shorter time frame than previously…

We are overlooking the fact that many of us have huge commute commitments for work, school, extracurricular activities – not to mention SHOPPING (if you’re savvy and shopping around)

Not many of us have the luxury of walking to work, walking to the market (and back home!), and “walking” to school is likely not an option for many unless you live unduly close to an appropriate and desired school (like in a dorm, or your parents just happened to move nearby…)

It is actually just as big a world as it always was

It is just our perception(s) that is changing

And the dangerous thing about the above is the assumptions and expectations it brings – and then how others will interpret, apply, and act on said assumptions and expectations.

I cannot believe I am the only one to have realized or considered this to such lengths or levels.

The world has not actually shrunk.

We may have achieved certain technological advancements – there have been advancements in MANY areas of human life, including a change and reinterpretation of human relations, connectivity, and communication on social media platforms — but that does not mean the world has gotten smaller.

The world cannot physically change on such a convenient scale, just for the benefit of mankind – much less due to humanity’s “advancement(s)”

Your grandmother’s house is just as far.

The store, is still the same distance it always was from your house – or from your grandma’s house.

It will still take that Uber driver the same amount of time it would have taken you in traffic to go pick-up your to-go order from that favorite restaurant of yours.

What a kind world it would be if it were actually shrinking in a non-negative way.

So that when you reached your grandma’s age everything would be closer together in such a way as to make your going to the grocery store more convenient as you would not need to walk as far… but again the reality is not that.

The expression has implied that people are closer together based on technological advances, but in actuality it has changed how we see each other and relate to each other.

We are both closer and more distant.

Firming up the Japanese personal philosophy and expression of the:

Tate-mae = Outward appearance, How you present yourself, How you regularly appear to others

Hon-ne = Your inner self, True self, Hidden thoughts

It is rare that both your tate-mae and honne are identical to the point of being almost confused for one another. Pretty much everyone has secrets – and everyone has regrets or thoughts of a better self or world they would like to live in.

We do not get that choice though.

This is the world we were born non-con-sensually into.

It has not changed that much, it is as big as it ever was, and in fact history continues to repeat itself, and will continue to repeat itself after we are gone.

In the words of musical artist, Housier, song No Plan:

“[…] there will be darkness again.”