I used to spend a lot of time on Google Earth. Instead of my head being in the clouds, it was in Google Earth. Where will I go next? What is this city like? How do they live? I was addicted to travel-dreaming and Google Earth was my enabler.
Google Earth is not a bad thing, though. It’s wonderful. It’s super cool. I can see parts of the world that I may never go to. It’s merely that I used to live in the future instead of the present; I lived on what might-be or could-be instead of what is. Maybe age brings balance. (Like I am so old.)
Today I was reading a news article about water shortages East Jerusalem and I somehow found my way over to Google Earth. I flew to Jerusalem, navigated to Old City, and went to street view. I landed near the Jaffa Gate and pushed through the crowds and into alley ways to find the tucked-away hotel where I stayed for a few days in 2010. Yes, that’s the money changer on the corner who will overcharge you…there’s the pizza place everyone said was amazing but I couldn’t eat at because of my dairy allergy…everything was as I remembered. Even the sunshine.
I found the city where we stayed in Palestine but there was no street view available. So I hovered above, wondering which street was which, wondering how much it’s changed.
Is it lovely or is it cruel that you can “be” somewhere in the blink of an eye, but not be there? “Here is what you desire…but you are lightyears removed from it! Haha, fat chance!”
It’s like the Mirror of Erised, at least for this muggle.
Lovely or cruel…I haven’t yet decided. What do you think?
o! wandering folk 