Keeping it real!
"It was the most real I've ever felt in my entire life!" Michael Angeletti
In a world dominated by screens and digital interactions, finding moments that make us feel truly alive has become increasingly important.
You might have seen Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer mash the American League Conference Series clinching three run home run. If you saw it live, or the replay, then you likely also saw Michael Angeletti, the man in the first row, wearing a Springer jersey, jumping up and down in absolute joy with the ball in his hand.
While I too celebrated the victory with millions of fans across Canada, it was Angeletti’s comments following the game that caught my attention. “I was tired of being on the couch and scrolling and just passively watching. I needed to feel something real, and that’s why I spent this money tonight. I felt the most real I’ve ever felt in my life,” he said.
It was the contrast between the endless and mindless scrolling of our digital reality and the feeling of absolute elation that he, and 45,000 other fans in the stadium, had that night.
Unfortunately, we have been overwhelmed by time-sucking, attention-draining devices and apps that reward doom scrolling in an alternate reality. Angeletti’s contrast between digital monotony and real-life joy had me thinking of an experience I have had recently.
Standing in the frigid waters of Goldstream, in the cool October afternoon, light rain falling, net in hand, with my cousin and nephews harvesting fish for family. When I got back to the car my dad and brother-in-law were standing on the bank of the river watching and teaching my two young nephews.
“Did you see the bear?” They asked. “It just walked up the stream.”
I hadn’t crossed paths with the bear because I got the idea it was better to cut through the brush to the road, rather than walk back down the creek.
The bear minding its business walked past my fishing nephews continuing on its merry way, paying little mind to the humans. I imagine our ancestors, bear and human, had harvested salmon in that stream together for many generations, both just looking to take a few to fill our bellies.
The frigid water, the bear, and the salmon all accounted for one of the most real feelings I have had in a long time.
As we increasingly rely on our devices and digital engagement to do more of our work, we are also turning to them more often for entertainment and escape. The result is the chilly water of the stream, the thrill of catching a salmon, or a fly ball, are fewer and further between.
In a world where digital distractions are ever-present, it is important to seek out and enjoy the moments that make us feel truly alive.