It's a small world after all ...

A few months ago, I battled my way through Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat.  The battle had nothing to do with Mr. Friedman's book or his writing style.  The battle had to to with my advancing age and decreasing ability to read non-fiction for a sustained period of time with any level of comprehension.  I take it slow --- very slow --- and stop reading when I realize that for the last 3 pages, my brain has been on the dim setting.

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it.  It may not be the book you want to take to Cabo San Lucas, but it is something that you should put on your "must read" list.

Although the book focuses on the global economy, business, government, and how technology has contributed to the flattening of the world, I couldn't help but be reminded how each and every one of us is affected by these changes.  I have an etsy store where I am slowly, but surely, selling the clothing that my MIL purchased in Sri Lanka over 30 years ago.  In the past week, I have made the following sales:

• to a lady in Germany who lives near a town we will be visiting in September
• to a buyer in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, the town where I was born and raised
• to another buyer in Sterling Heights, Michigan, the city where DH and I bought our first home

Pretty small world, isn't it?  In each of these cases, I was able to instantly communicate via the Internet and share stories, memories, a piece of my life, with people who had been absolute strangers until our lives connected through technology.  Pretty amazing stuff.  It wasn't all that long ago that communication was via sailing ship or wagon train or pony express and took months and months.  Now we gripe if the download takes more than a few seconds!