The Space Between Us

Margarita Diaz

Lately I can hear it.

The space between us. 

We sit inside our squares 
Neatly fitted on a screen, 
But the sound gives us away. 
The emptiness between our walls. 
Not a silence but a hollowness 
That reminds us of 
The space between us. 

A dozen single voices
Spread across places near or far,
Will not fill a room with laughter
Or give way to chit chat
Or a knowing glance.
They cannot close the distance
And the space between us.

We sacrifice connection for convenience. 

A temporary substitute, yes! 
A permanent supplement, perhaps. 
Not an evolution. 
For humanity evolves, 
But divolves in increased distances, and 
The space between us.

And if it all shuts down?
Where are we?
Who are we?
Who are we with?
And without?
The space between us.

I don’t want more space between us.
Not as a society.
It’s too quiet.
Yet if we proceed without asking,
”Are we going too far?”
It might be all we can hear.

The echo chambers,
The divisiveness,
Not caused by any one person,
Oh no,
But the collective choice
Of convenience over connection.

Algorithms decide who hears us.

We have FRIENDS we’ve never met.
Communities at our fingertips.
Yet less and less time,
For the moments right in front of us.

How often are we choosing
This space between us?

There is synergy in differences,
But a lacking energy in distances,
The distance through a screen,
And the space between us.

Virtual this.
Virtual that.
Virtual classes, dates and chats.
Remember when “virtual” meant “almost?”
It still does.

When did we sign up,
For living in the “almost?”
I didn’t.
And I won’t.

When is enough, enough?

~ Margarita Diaz @diverseinthecity

Reflection Questions

Social media can be a useful tool or a debilitating crutch.  It’s really up to us.

❓Do you spend more time on social media then you normally intend?

And as more individuals, groups and organizations consider a longer term use of online and virtual communications in place of in-person, I wondered, and I ask you:

❓Are we going too far?