My Grandmother ( on my father's side ) was a grand manipulator, and at ninety-five the matriarch of a Klan that spanned most of the North American Continent. Her annual family reunions are attended by thousands. But, I never knew the extent of her power till my wife and I visited my sister last Thanksgiving. Grandma blew my mind ( ok, she used my sis to do the work, but it was Grandma pulling the strings from...where-ever... ).
After my wife, my sister and I carved and ate the turkey, the pumpkin pie and all that...we retired to the living room where Sis had recently put much af Grandma's relics up for display ( crochet hooks and hoops, butter molds, etc ), it was well done. My Sis has an eye for art ( and craft ), and the new additions to her home reflected her respect and affection for her family and culture. She's like that, my Sis is...
In a casual voice, Sis said, "Hey Wally, listen to this."...and out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed her hand touch the play button on her answering machine....whoa...it was the voice of my dear Grandma, calling Sis from the Hospital several years before;
"...Hey sissy, it's me and I'm going home now...Grandpa's not doing well, but we'll talk about that when you visit this weekend. I don't know If I'll be able to lift that big skillet to fry chicken, but oh well...I have a few knick-knacks you'll probably want to look at..."I froze, immobile where I stood. That voice, it shook me and still affects me. Grandma's out there, in a virtual world of her own creation.
That message ( and more ) have since been transferred to other digital media, and she ( Grandma ) has gone www.com. This is the spooky part, there is no stopping her. And here's the kicker, Grandma was tied deeply into Illinois politics ( Democrat in a traditionally Republican State ). She was a huge asset to our most recently elected Governor, Rod Blagojavich who has been impeached, ousted, whatever...Grandma's pissed ( ok, this is just my speculation, but I know what angers the old bird ).
I want anyone that reads this to suspend their dis-belief for just a moment. You don't believe in spooks, you don't believe in ghosts. But, many ~do believe in~ the Internet. You can feel the effect of a voice from the past. Please understand where I'm coming from.
Some of your departed parents, some of your grandparents and many of your ancestors gave a lot to get you where you are today. A few of them where crafty enough to reach into your present tense. Obama is a master of that hyper-rhelm that you hold so dear.
It's not about bits and bytes. It's about logic, reason and the desire to affect the world long after you have departed. Like Grandma...( God bless her ).
