[smc]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Add to the Digital Age a near complete lack of a sense of community everywhere in the Western world (or maybe those places touched by the hand of the US) and you have yourself the recipe for something awful. Two examples to illustrate both those things: 1)I have lived in the same godforsaken suburb my entire life, but have yet to experience anything like the community coming together for celebrations or bringing many to the fold; as is often the case, no one knows their neighbor and no one cares, it may as well be New York; 2)My mother has recently discovered Facebook and now scours the site incessantly, but to what purpose? She is so lacking in self-assessment, or she doesn?t care, that she can?t see how meaningless her actions are, how they add nothing to her days and her life.

Yes, it is a terrible loneliness that resides in me. I am not obsessed with transsexual woman. I met one whom I thought was lovely and I fell hopelessly in love, hopeless Romantic that I am. It all went awry and now I am left with nothing but mornings and nights cursing myself for what I didn?t do.

I have no need, and no love, for the teachings of spirits or modern gurus. I do not want the silly and ultimately empty promises of crystals, balms, benedictions, transubstantiation, and the feel good teachings that are everywhere, from the pulpits of megachurches like those of Osteen, to those of unorganized believers of mashups like Tolle. What I need is something much more earthly and much more beautiful, and absolutely vital to the continuing health of an individual.

I now question the wisdom of ever having created a thread here. When I created it I did so because of the circumstances behind my depression, that is to say, it involved a transsexual woman; which is a topic I have not even discussed with my best friend. On all my island there is only one soul who knows of my attraction to this girl, and I am not even sure he has taken the logical leap to assuming I am attracted to transsexual women. I posted here because it seemed pretty clear to me I wouldn?t be judged for my sexual proclivities. But now it feels like griping is beginning to hold sway in the thread.

Your articulate contribution above is welcome. Please do not regret having posted it or starting the thread. Your description of the problems of community in the Digital Age are spot-on; in fact, this comprises some of the research I do at my university. I am off to teach right now, but will write more later.

"Unorganized believers of mashups" ... absolutely brilliant, in four simple words.