DIY vs. DIT.

okey, i broke my rule of no caps... bummer. i also apologize the artificial opposition in the title, since DIY (do-it-yerself) in the sense of creating something derived from an inspiration yourself is still very cool and dandy in my view -- and not exactly opposite DIT in this sense.

but to my point which is that in this age of virtual socializing and connecting, do-it-together (DIT, duh!) is making a comeback. big time! groups in facebook titled "why are we friends in facebook if we don't greet each other irl?" and "let's meet for real coffee" reveal a disturbance in our sense of social interaction and it seems the perks of re-establishing contact with long lost pals over the interweb has created a void we're more than eager to fill with real-life encounters.

i do not mean to dismiss the value of facebook, by any means; that is, i'm not one of those "i'm so over facebook" kinda people. i have witnessed several friends lose their jobs/apartments, post it as their status, and receive recommendations which lead to new jobs/apartments. i can follow my friends' kids grow in ways never imaginable before. the ability to invite people collectively over to a party through events is amazing. but it certainly does not cover everything and tends to create a false sense of connectedness with people who you might otherwise call sporadically to figure out how they are. i have noted that instead of visiting my friends with kids, i just ask for new photos in fb... and it's just lame.

another thing completely is relating to strangers, meeting new people and making contact with like-minded individuals. exchanging glances and nods at bars or at the gym hardly ever develop to actual encounters and perhaps they do not need to. most people like me who aren't into group sports or any other group activity miss out on feelings of belonging to a whole or a community -- something i do recollect from my times of playing in an orchestra. being a component of a larger mechanic is a valuable immersion that provides contentment an individualistic life never touches upon.

groups like the terror pigeon dance revolt! (yes, with an exclamation mark) are spreading the news of partaking and social interaction. their gigs come with the main performer (neil fridd), prop makers and his entourage of party starters who mingle with the audience with the sole aim of getting everyone involved in the concert. according to fridd, most of his fans are so into playing in their costumes and sword fighting that they're actually clueless as to who's in the band and who is not.

here some group of people sing together about their hearts going to explode. don't you wanna just sing along?