Second Chances

I am 41 years old, recently divorced, unemployed, and living in a new Province. The universe has given me a second chance for a re-do, 21 one again, with 20 years’ experience. How exciting.

 I fell asleep one night in a world I was familiar with, having lived in it for 41 year and woke up (or did I) in a reality I can only describe as Augmented or Virtual.  If I bought in to conspiracy theories, I would believe that the world as I knew it ended and AI (artificial intelligence) had taken over, my physical body in storage, on life support and my mind plugged digital dimension.

This plot is so recognizable it is too obvious - the Matrix. Really. Many people have taken many pills in their however I was not presented with a red and blue pill and asked to choose. Wait... what if Keanu Reeves is in my male lead.

Have you heard of the game the Sims or even played it?

The internet, one of the greatest discoveries of all time has brought the entire world closer than ever before. Like a fold in time and space allowing you to ‘be’ anywhere in the world in real time, yet human beings have never been farther away from each other. Even in the same, house, same room sitting at the same table because living is done online through our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other such devices. You do not exist online; you do not exist.

Am I the only human left, what if.? am I even human or just a simulation in someone else VR. If I’ asking that question then the digital equivalent of which came first the chicken or the egg, who’s reality is it, am I in your reality or are you in mind?

Hard to prove as physical human contact is something life a memory.

In this existence, engagement or interaction is solely online, social media, WhatsApp, Instagram,, Snapchat, sometimes email and if you call for a service you are greeted by an automated, computer service, press on for this or this etc.. On websites, a little speech bubble pops up with an emotive/avatar asking if you need assistance.

Telephones, even the mobile ones that have become extensions of ourselves, aren’t purchased for phone calls, and should you try call and reach a voicemail it is only activate to inform you not to leave a message but to send and SMS or WhatsApp.

If you contacted another ‘sim’, you do not exchange telephone numbers, you are asked for you Facebook Profile, Twitter handle etc.… here everyone has an avatar, speak in code made up of gifs, emoticons and acronyms that that not structured sentences i.e. BRB (Be right Back) LMAO – Laughed my ass off etc.

Your are measured by the number of friends you have; how many people are following you. In my previous existence this would be considered stalking or a follow was a member of a cult, need I remind you of the Masons and how badly that ended. Your life is what you post and share, perfectly poised for selfies, then photoshopped, your status, what you ate for breakfast, how you are feeling, who you’re friends are, how many likes you have, the number of times your posts have been reshared or your tweet retweeted and of course the comments others leave. Your entire existence and self-worth are decided by people, most of which you have and probably will never meet.

Apps have been designed and created to appease our basic needs and experience, the game masters create apps, so take dating, there are many apps for your personal preference or need. Tinder, Grinder if you are gay, etc.… 

Artificial Intelligence is exactly that Intelligent for sure and indisputably artificial. These apps use the data you provide, studying your every interaction and engagement with the app, studying your criteria, likes and dislikes, hobbies and interests, etc. your behavior and responses, taking all the data, comparing to the collective data, and once similarities are observed and discovered they present you with best possible matches based on their programmed, subjective rational. Theoretically this is a perfect match which will be confirmed by whether you swipe left or right.

Now you make contact, again not human contact. Dare not ask what their star sign is? In my human existence, reading your weekly horoscope was habitual and fun, simple, 12 Zodiac signs and you know which you are based on your birthday date. I believe that there are similar personality traits for each Zodiac and always have fun trying to guess which one someone is by their behavior and reactions. No longer relevant, you know need to know your star sign/zodiac; moon sign, rising or ascending sign and you that only covers the Western Astrology what about the Eastern and Chinese I am a Libran Horse, with an Aries Ascending sign,  in the year of the Rat, and currently Venus is in retrograde and squaring Jupiter in my 7^th house, which means I shouldn’t be communicating.

The Universe has a sense of humor, dark but humor, nonetheless. Be careful what you wish for, live in the present and make it count. Second chances… 41 years are obsolete, outdated, and no longer relevant, at the rate of which Technology has taken quantum leaps. I'm a dinosaur stuck in the tarpits.

I dream of writing letters, postage stamps, tiki boxes, telephones, faxes, taking photos on film and waiting for them to be developed, videos, tape cassette, cds and dvds. Dating, using real words and facial expressions and body language to express yourself, partying with real people in the same venue to live music and not across the world on your on in your own living room. It’s like MSDOS vs IOS or Microsoft.

Please let me go to sleep and wake up realizing it was a bad dream but then what if like the man who dreamt he was a butterfly, and then later questioned if perhaps he was a butterfly who dreamt, he was a man, I still question which reality is real?