As we try to make sense of the recent terror attacks around the world, let’s not forget the power of our ability to stay connected.
—
It can’t change what happened. It can’t change the fact that over a hundred people tragically lost their lives. It can’t change the fact that some people in this world have so much hate inside of them that they’re driven to kill other people. But as we mourn for the city of Paris and those who lost their lives in acts of senseless violence that we’re still trying to reconcile, I’m reminded of how powerful technology can be and how it allows us to focus on what’s important.
During the shock and horror that the world endured as we collectively learned about the terrorist attacks in Paris, technology helped to keep people informed.
|
For a long time I’ve had mixed feelings about the technology that has changed our lives and will continue to change the way in which we relate to the world. A big part of me despises the fact that one of the first things I do in the morning is grab my phone and click and scroll and swipe for 5–10 minutes before doing much of anything else. But there are times when it’s impossible to deny the ways in which technology has changed our lives for the better.
During the shock and horror that the world endured as we collectively learned about the terrorist attacks in Paris, technology helped to keep people informed. It helped to keep people connected. It helped to keep us from feeling like uncertainty and a lack of information would swallow us whole.
◊♦◊
The New York Times lifted its paywall so everyone could stay updated about what was happening in Paris. Facebook activated its “Safety Check” feature so people could let their friends and family know they were okay. Countless people followed along on Reddit and other platforms that provided live updates as information trickled in about the situation as it continued to unfold.
And for me, the attacks hit pretty close to home. For four years, I worked at a startup that had an office in Paris, in addition to our office in Manhattan. During the course of those four years, I worked very closely with a number of people from Paris who still live there today. And during those years, we laughed together. We formed friendships. We learned about each other’s culture. We asked questions. We expanded our views about the world. We were a team. We fought for each other. We stayed up to all hours of the night and early morning working towards a common goal. And perhaps, most importantly, we bonded over our work and became familiar with people and places we otherwise never would have known.
I wanted to make sure they were okay. I wanted to let them know I was thinking about them and the city of Paris in the midst of this horrifying attack.
|
When I heard the news and was finally able to process what happened on Friday night, I immediately thought of my friends in Paris. I hoped they were okay. I hoped they had managed to avoid this senseless violence and hatred that claimed far too many lives.
◊♦◊
Feeling completely helpless half a world away as I was following the breaking news on my computer, I sent a tweet.
It was simple. Just five words. “Hope you guys are okay,” as I tagged my friends and former co-workers who live in Paris and other parts of France.
Hope you guys are okay @mathieuravaux @jeremyvdw @stan_kocken @maxbok @pvauvrey @apouche @johanmarie @MarcoByAmbition @jeanregisser @gpetit
— Charlie Scaturro (@ChScaturro) November 14, 2015
For various reasons, we’ve all gone our separate ways and no longer work together, and even though I haven’t seen many of them for well over six months and haven’t regularly stayed in touch since we’ve gone our separate ways, I wanted to reach out. I wanted to make sure they were okay. I wanted to let them know I was thinking about them and the city of Paris in the midst of this horrifying attack.
I didn’t send this tweet until 8pm ET which is 2am Paris time. I only heard back from one friend last night, who informed me that he spent the most harrowing moments of the attack locked in the basement of a bar. But when I woke up the next morning, I had received responses from everyone else telling me they were indeed okay. I’m sure they’re not doing great right now. I’m sure they’re not feeling like everything makes sense right now. I’m sure they’re shocked and saddened about what happened right now. But at least they’re okay.
◊♦◊
And what’s important is the people in our lives. Our relationships. Our connections.
|
I ache for the people who lost their lives and the friends and family of those people. I ache for the city of Paris as it does its best to cope with the horrific events of the past few days. And as I’m doing this, I’m also trying to focus on what’s important.
And what’s important is the people in our lives. Our relationships. Our connections. Our being a part of something greater. I’m thankful I was able to reach out to my friends in Paris last night and make sure they were okay and they knew I was thinking about them. Given what happened, I know it wasn’t much but it was all I could think to do in the moment. And at the very least, in that moment, I was trying to hold onto what’s important even as it seemed like the senselessness of the world was trying to rip it away.
Would you like to help us shatter stereotypes about men?
Receive stories from The Good Men Project, delivered to your inbox daily or weekly.
—
Photo: Getty Images