Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person he or she knows and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth.
People frequently comment on how small the world is (and that it is getting smaller with more improved communication technology and transportation), and it seems to me that this has never been more true. I suppose as I started to consider this blogger-thing and that I would eventually come to create one to share, that my thoughts turned once more to how convenient communication has become.
Ironically, as I started the day today, I rang my cousin Mandy, who, as most of you are aware, has been my other sister. There are four such women in my life whom I have been blessed to know and are kindred. Les and Mandy are direct relations and we were raised pretty much as sisters would be and I come to affectionately refer to them as such. Two other remarkable women who have come into my life are Juanita (who I spoke about before as being inspirational in my first kick at the blogger-can) and Kerry (pictured somewhere on this page). It is remarkable how similar these women are. I am the most fortunate girl I know. But that is not what I wanted to talk about today, I will save this for another day as it is another good story.
No, today, I was again reminded of how small the world truly is. To pick up from where I digressed................... ironically, I was speaking with Mandy this morning and was hearing her news and sharing with her some recent experiences (hers and my own). Her story was about this person she has met and how we all knew one another in different ways and yet whom she met by fate (and to my mind good fortune).
Any-hooser, after finishing the call, (which I had to end before I was really finished discussing, which is probably why I am writing about it now) I was tearing around Bathurst doing Saturday odds and ends thinking about this "How small the world is" situation. Which of course then led to a reflection on the 6 degrees of separation theory.
And here is where we can then cue the "do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do" spooky music from that movie that I always forget because I never saw because I was too scared but always know by the theme music. You know the one I mean. Back to my story, this is where it gets really good and ties the whole theory together nicely with an illustration: I was thinking about the 6 degrees of separation situation and then recalled that the earliest articulation of six degrees of separation was by Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi in his Nobel Prize speech. And I thought, "FAR OUT!"
Because for all of you out there to whom I bore silly with Newfoundlandia (in this case, all of you) would know; Marconi sent his first transatlanic wiresless signal in 1901 which was received at Signal Hill in none other than St. John's NL! Which for lack of a better description, I use as my hometown. What I mean by this is that I say that I am from a regional community outside of the capital of the Tasmania of Canada. In this way, Australians can gauge the province I am so proud of.
It is an island which is the most easterly point of Canada in the north atlantic, which is heavily forested, absolutely beautiful, populated by hospitable and friendly people, and collectively, are the butt of all jokes in Canada. (Hence the Tasmania of Canada allegory I choose to employ).
It seemed to me a very good point of discussion.
However, this then led to other recent events in our family. And may I at this point, please give Jo my best wishes. She has been in my heart and in the fore of my mind since receiving an email from mum on Thursday. I can not imagine what you are going through, but know that my heart is with you.
As I was about to say, this small world concept was really sticking in my mind and was illustrated again by some events in my biological family. (Another story for another time, but one which will really make you feel good, so if you ever need a warm hug, let me know, I have a great story for you)
Connie and Craig (my cousins who are brother and sister) both graduated from their university and career training this week. Both of them, in different parts of Canada, within the same week, completed studies. And I was sharing their experience, receiving photos- which always makes me happy, so if you ever need or wish to make me feel good- a photo of family will do the trick.
I found myself remarking regularly at the beauty of this or that photo, and how beautiful the people were (what they mean to me). And I started to realise that perhaps some may begin to think that I employ the word willy-nilly and thereby dilute it's potency.
This could be further from the truth.
The subjective experience of "beauty" often involves the interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being.
According to Wikipedia, however, in its most profound sense, beauty may engender a salient experience of positive reflection about the meaning of one's own existence. An "object of beauty" is anything that reveals or resonates with personal meaning.
It is for this reason which I have prattled on so long, because I found myself once again wanting to exclaim how beautiful this photo was. And I realised that I was really wanting to say how beautiful this photo made me feel and to cherish the personal meaning which this relationship has and is epitomised by this one fabulous image. It is simply, beautiful.
People must feel that I overuse this word, but, quite simply, it is truly a beautiful thing I am looking at. (a photo of people who are dear to me)
This feeling I have come to associate with joy and contentment, and also, a feeling of fullness. For which I am grateful, as life feels good- I am blessed.
Knowing how blessed I am and how joyous this feeling is, is also compounded by my feeling of belonging and connectedness- which continues to grow. Which then in turn, reiterates the contentment- you see where I am going here.
I guess, my prevailing thought is that the modern world was 'shrinking' due to this ever-increasing connectedness of human beings. Despite great physical distances between the globe's individuals, the growing density of human networks made the actual social distance far smaller.
So, the question I am left with is; my thinking of how small the world is, is this a function of 6 degrees of separation or rather from my increased feeling of connectedness?
Either way....... it is beautiful!
People frequently comment on how small the world is (and that it is getting smaller with more improved communication technology and transportation), and it seems to me that this has never been more true. I suppose as I started to consider this blogger-thing and that I would eventually come to create one to share, that my thoughts turned once more to how convenient communication has become.
Ironically, as I started the day today, I rang my cousin Mandy, who, as most of you are aware, has been my other sister. There are four such women in my life whom I have been blessed to know and are kindred. Les and Mandy are direct relations and we were raised pretty much as sisters would be and I come to affectionately refer to them as such. Two other remarkable women who have come into my life are Juanita (who I spoke about before as being inspirational in my first kick at the blogger-can) and Kerry (pictured somewhere on this page). It is remarkable how similar these women are. I am the most fortunate girl I know. But that is not what I wanted to talk about today, I will save this for another day as it is another good story.
No, today, I was again reminded of how small the world truly is. To pick up from where I digressed................... ironically, I was speaking with Mandy this morning and was hearing her news and sharing with her some recent experiences (hers and my own). Her story was about this person she has met and how we all knew one another in different ways and yet whom she met by fate (and to my mind good fortune).
Any-hooser, after finishing the call, (which I had to end before I was really finished discussing, which is probably why I am writing about it now) I was tearing around Bathurst doing Saturday odds and ends thinking about this "How small the world is" situation. Which of course then led to a reflection on the 6 degrees of separation theory.
And here is where we can then cue the "do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do" spooky music from that movie that I always forget because I never saw because I was too scared but always know by the theme music. You know the one I mean. Back to my story, this is where it gets really good and ties the whole theory together nicely with an illustration: I was thinking about the 6 degrees of separation situation and then recalled that the earliest articulation of six degrees of separation was by Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi in his Nobel Prize speech. And I thought, "FAR OUT!"
Because for all of you out there to whom I bore silly with Newfoundlandia (in this case, all of you) would know; Marconi sent his first transatlanic wiresless signal in 1901 which was received at Signal Hill in none other than St. John's NL! Which for lack of a better description, I use as my hometown. What I mean by this is that I say that I am from a regional community outside of the capital of the Tasmania of Canada. In this way, Australians can gauge the province I am so proud of.
It is an island which is the most easterly point of Canada in the north atlantic, which is heavily forested, absolutely beautiful, populated by hospitable and friendly people, and collectively, are the butt of all jokes in Canada. (Hence the Tasmania of Canada allegory I choose to employ).
It seemed to me a very good point of discussion.
However, this then led to other recent events in our family. And may I at this point, please give Jo my best wishes. She has been in my heart and in the fore of my mind since receiving an email from mum on Thursday. I can not imagine what you are going through, but know that my heart is with you.
As I was about to say, this small world concept was really sticking in my mind and was illustrated again by some events in my biological family. (Another story for another time, but one which will really make you feel good, so if you ever need a warm hug, let me know, I have a great story for you)
Connie and Craig (my cousins who are brother and sister) both graduated from their university and career training this week. Both of them, in different parts of Canada, within the same week, completed studies. And I was sharing their experience, receiving photos- which always makes me happy, so if you ever need or wish to make me feel good- a photo of family will do the trick.
I found myself remarking regularly at the beauty of this or that photo, and how beautiful the people were (what they mean to me). And I started to realise that perhaps some may begin to think that I employ the word willy-nilly and thereby dilute it's potency.
This could be further from the truth.
The subjective experience of "beauty" often involves the interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being.
According to Wikipedia, however, in its most profound sense, beauty may engender a salient experience of positive reflection about the meaning of one's own existence. An "object of beauty" is anything that reveals or resonates with personal meaning.
It is for this reason which I have prattled on so long, because I found myself once again wanting to exclaim how beautiful this photo was. And I realised that I was really wanting to say how beautiful this photo made me feel and to cherish the personal meaning which this relationship has and is epitomised by this one fabulous image. It is simply, beautiful.
People must feel that I overuse this word, but, quite simply, it is truly a beautiful thing I am looking at. (a photo of people who are dear to me)
This feeling I have come to associate with joy and contentment, and also, a feeling of fullness. For which I am grateful, as life feels good- I am blessed.
Knowing how blessed I am and how joyous this feeling is, is also compounded by my feeling of belonging and connectedness- which continues to grow. Which then in turn, reiterates the contentment- you see where I am going here.
I guess, my prevailing thought is that the modern world was 'shrinking' due to this ever-increasing connectedness of human beings. Despite great physical distances between the globe's individuals, the growing density of human networks made the actual social distance far smaller.
So, the question I am left with is; my thinking of how small the world is, is this a function of 6 degrees of separation or rather from my increased feeling of connectedness?
Either way....... it is beautiful!
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