There is an arc
Barely visible
It can be noticed sometimes
At the peripheral
Of our lives
It is created by our tastes and tendencies
It is unconscious choice for the most part
We breathe on, unaware of its encompassing, channeling affect on the direction of our lives
It is the playlist we listen to
The foods we eat
Whether we choose to exercise and how that experience is
It is whether we drink alcohol, how much or not at all
Smoking
Drugs
Whimsy’s
Flaws
Addictions
Afflictions
So many things we choose seemingly at random
Are not random at all
And they become our habits
Create our earthly pall
Shadow keepers
Guiding
Tweaking
Flickering at the edges
We blame fate
Others
Circumstances
Yet always
It is our tastes and tendencies that led us
To this point, another
If you want to know a result
Cast some Gypsy spell
Looking far off and ahead
Who you will become
Well
Then
It’s already being written in your head
So start there.
*my playlist this morning was chosen by Siri.
My watch, my phone, these sentinels to my life. They know what I like to eat and wear via google, what I listen to via habit, they predict, they discern and they grow more knowing by the day.
More knowing about me then me it would seem at times
The playlist Siri chose and the order which the songs were played blew me away.
I had Beethoven followed by Uptown Funk followed by James Taylor followed by Taylor Swift followed by some gorgeous musical composition that I cannot even remember downloading followed by Rhianna and Eminem, then Pink and some John Butler trio and others that I cannot recall but were perfect wherever they fell.
Many of the tracks were several years old – songs I hadn’t listened to in years – how did she know I needed to hear them
Right now
Just then
And she isn’t even a she
She is an it
Yet over time she has become she, with her never flustered female voice that has talked me calmly through fraught moments in traffic
I’ve always said google probably thinks I am actually ten people – I would have thought Siri thought so too but she gets me.
Which is what she is designed to do
One day psychologists will ask our watch what the problem is
Or perhaps we will
And there won’t be a need for psychologists anymore
Won’t be a need for anyone anymore
…
