On Privacy

Privacy is a privilege not everyone has. In a world where almost everyone is connected to the internet, privacy is an illusion. The rise of state surveillance, online money scams, & employer monitoring their unknowing workers working from home, only amplifies it. Without our permission, our webcams, mics, & online activities are monitored. It feels uncomfortable even if we aren’t doing anything illegal.

I’m sure nobody wants a random stranger to watch them relax, do mundane activities in the comfort of their homes, or listen to their private intimate family conversations. It’s a violation of our right to privacy.

These realties are something I need to get used to & be effortfully mindful whenever my devices connect to the internet.

I was born in an era of traditional TV & radio. It transcended to cable & DVD/CD media. The first time I used the internet was in my early teens. However, we rarely used it. I started using Friendster and MySpace in my early college years. I’ve used Facebook & smartphones in my early 20s already. I was excited for the technological revolution until I’ve developed a love & hate relationship with it when I entered my 30s because of the above reasons & knowing our data is also used to manipulate consumer behaviors. It’s disgusting.

The only thing I’m glad I still have are my thoughts. My thoughts are still mine. There’s still privacy despite it all. But would that change in the future? Will there be a technology that may be able to read our minds? This thought saddens me.

On Homes

A home to be called your sanctuary is a privilege not everyone has. Some people go home to abusive family members. Others live in chaotic neighborhoods.

To have a serene home where you can just simply relax & not worry about privacy is a privilege only upper-middle class and rich people have. They can get homes with high fences, live in a gated community with pleasant people, protect their homes with high-tech security, etc.

For the rest of us, a home is simply a protection against petty crimes and intruders, or to protect against the weather. We aren’t living our best lives as long as we call our homes our sanctuary.

We deserve to have emotional and mental peace in our homes, too. It shouldn’t be only for physical safety.

On Meditation

I’ve never understood how it is to meditate. I don’t know what its goal is. They said it’s to relax oneself but I haven’t felt that. The first time I encountered meditation was back when I attended a catholic high school. They often tell us to close our eyes, do conscious breathing, feel the air, and be aware of our body. And then, what? I often tell myself. I’ve never revisited it until after 20 years when I’m working part-time as an ESL supporter. One of my Japanese students told me about stacking rocks and how it helps him meditate. I told him I don’t understand what meditation is. I often caught myself with drifting thoughts. Then he told me, “THAT’S IT! That is meditation. You are simply aware that your thoughts are drifting so you go back to doing what you’re supposed to do.” He told me that meditation is about refocusing your attention to where you’re supposed to focus it again.

One of the definitions of the word “meditate” from Merriam-Webster is “2: to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness”. This was the meditation that I was introduced to when I first knew about it. Then there is another type of meditation that I wasn’t aware of. It’s any activity that I am so focused on that I forget everything around me. One example is doing my make-up. I don’t think of anything at all whenever I do it. I’m just focused on the activity. Writing also does the same. Sometimes even chores, gaming, even work. It makes me feel refreshed every time I do these activities. 

In life, we can easily lose our focus on the main goal because there are other distractions. But as long as we are aware and remind ourselves to get back on track, as my ESL student has pointed out, it’s enough. The intention is to refocus on the goal again until we achieve it.