December 23, 2009
Well, it's Christmas time again. Time for all to revive and treasure the traditions of yesteryear, but also to embrace new customs like…a Christmas blog. Yes, this year I multitasked to such a great extent that my bandwidth was greatly compromised. I did not send out Christmas cards. I did not host a Christmas party. I did not even attend ObjectSharp's Christmas party. I was out of the country on training!
Fortunately, I work with an amazing team at ObjectSharp. We're a group of extraordinary individuals, excelling in our chosen technical and business roles. But far more significant than our market worth, in my opinion, is our humanity. So although I missed the ObjectSharp Christmas party, I shortly after received an email toting a large attachment from one of my esteemed colleagues. It was a video Christmas card. From Toronto to California, via Cisco routers and fiber optic cable, came a bit- stream of joy, transmitting the party and the Christmas greetings of my colleagues at home.
So what does this say about Christmas in our new world? What would Charles Dickens say if he found himself in the middle of Yonge-Dundas square this Christmas eve amid the holiday shopping pandemonium? I wonder if our technological achievements have so changed our landscape and our behavior that our current society would not be recognizable to Dickens or Jane Austen? Have we evolved or are we so changed that we'd appear alien and robotic? What are we preserving of our past traditions, humanity and vocabulary? As we dash from iPod to Xbox to YouTube, I don't know if we've given this much thought. We don't have the time anymore!
Fortunately for many of us, Christmas is a compulsory vacation from the modern technological onslaught. We'll manually fill our stockings, make a fire in homes that still have a hearth, eat a home cooked meal with family, go sledding and read a good book like the luddites of by-gone times. I can't wait.
In closing, let me regale you with a few words from my favourite fictional Christmas character:
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."
Ebenezer Scrooge post spiritual counseling in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ok, now it's time to log off. Maybe this year my favourite Scrooge (Alastair Sim) will be available in HD? And don't forget to IM me if you're interested in Online Live training.
Happy Holidays!