Health is All Relative

I'm writing this from Cape Cod. I've come up here to attend my niece's wedding and have been surrounded by family for the last 24 + hours. It triggered me to consider how relational we are as human beings. Genesis states taht man was lonely, so God created woman to keep him company. Over the thousands of years since, we have continued to be interdependent.

Now, in this new millenium, we have created virtual communities, but they haven't replaced the need to connect with each other. In fact, they've pointed out the difference both in quality and in perspective, that "actual" versus "virtual" communities offer. E-patient sites are proliferating, and some have suggested that they are the next wave of healthcare revolution. I'm not convinced, as there are too many loop holes in the system that allow for people to exist without accountability and truthfulness. It's not a huge leap to guess that a smart marketing person from a for-profit company could create an image on-line and promote a product or service, all the while seeming to be a person suffering from X, Y or Z disease.

Humans were created to be in real community - to be relational. It is a key piece of our health, wellness and wholeness; in fact, we can't be whole alone. While virtual space can allow for interaction in a less overwhelming way, it can't replace the knowledge and insight that a real friend can have. Face-to-face communication transmits nuances that can't be shared via electronic media (at least at this time). That nuance can bring a new depth of understanding to the listener, who can then bring that knowledge into the discussion. This allows for enhanced understanding and connection.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the virtual sharing of information and experience can broaden our mutual understanding of where we need to go next in our journey towards health, wellness and wholeness (HW2). It just can't replace the face-to-face and longitudinal interaction that real people have. Wholeness can't be created on-line, brokenness and alienation are the only things that are enhanced. Be careful and use the on-line health sites as tools to improve your understanding and advocacy - do not let them replace your human interactions. You HW2 is at risk.

Peace,
Dan