red kite

Everyone wants an upgrade.

Upgrade. It has become the infamous word of my generation casually tossed around from one conversation to another. In today's day and age, if it's not bigger, better, faster or sleeker, it's certainly not performing at its most potent potential. Let "it" stand for all the latest technological gadgets I still struggle to name correctly- the ipod nanos, mini cellphones, digital cameras, laptops, blackberries (i.e- any feasible mode of technology which appears to be complicated yet compact, efficient and ever so upgradable. I often fear jumping on the newest technology bandwagon for the simple reason that by the time I have actually acquired the newest, fastest, trendiest, most enviable object of other's consumer minded fancies, the manufacturer will produce something ten times more powerful and desirable than the original purchase and I will be back at square one, painstalkingly in need of an upgrade.

It's not that I ascribe to the "upgrade it" mentality. I would almost go as far to say I actively attempt to avoid, ignore and retreat at all costs on an almost regular basis. Case in point, I haven't changed or shall I say, upgraded, my dentist in about 15 years and unless the three-year-old patient reading "Highlight" magazine in the office waiting room physically pushes me out the door, I will continue to prop myself up in the plastic covered reclining dental chair of the rainbow striped corner room decorated with a masterful portrait of Ernie and Bert gazing wistfully at my aging teeth.

But I digress.

I am most definitely the last of my friends to identify the latest technological gadgets. The fact that I actually own an ipod (given to me as a gift) is quite frankly a miracle and I still adamantly refuse to believe that my beloved Walkman is forever debunked as an all but extinct memory of the 90's.

There are those moments though; those few and far between glimmering moments where my mind is transported away from the buzzing, ringing, vibrating and clicking of gadgets and replaced with images or ideas revolving around the small yet monumental pieces of life that really matter. Several months ago, I caught a fleeting glimpse of the figure of an elderly man gripping the string of a red kite in the midst of a solitary baseball field. Although my short glimpse from the bus window could have exceeded no more than several seconds, the image of that wistful aged man serenly gazing up at his red kite flying above in the overcast sky was genuinely priceless. As countless blindfolded New Yorkers equipped with the latest technology do their best to constantly block out the trials and tribulations of reality, it was comforting to spot someone in tune with the sights and sounds of everyday life.

One man, one kite, one field. I can't help but imagine he was content.

In a recent conversation with a new friend, I learned that there are those who will heed the extra mile to escape the hustle and bustle of the latest, the fastest, the trendiest technology. A frequent attendee of Buddhist retreats, my friend described to me a memorable weekend away from the city. Armed with just the clothes on his back, my friend alongside a group of strangers spent a quiet weekend deep within the confines of the woods, sans cellphone, ipods, email, even idol chatter. All were instructed not to speak until nightfall each day allowing the mind to roam freely without interruption, reflect intuitively and fully experience the surrounding natural beauty of the woods. At the end of the weekend, my friend learned how to value and appreciate the depth of nature, minimalism and silence.

I am not advocating that we all retreat to the woods and celebrate an end to technology, nor am I officially ready to dramatically part with my ipod/cellphone/email- yet, everyday, I try to envision the face of that man with the red kite blissfully captivated by an inner tranquility.

If we could all worry less about upgrading to the next level, maybe we could find a deeper appreciation for the things in life that should really matter: the stars above us, the people around us and a deep sense of peace within ourselves.