The end is near, but it’s not what you think, as the island hunkers to speed-up internet access via Google.

It’s a national competition lasting less than 20 days more, which we heard of on Friday, March 5. We’re told more broadband networking will quicken business, make money from home, enhance grades, increase chats overseas, as well perhaps, yes, cure acne.

This is the panache stuff to which this island is vulnerable. “River City” succumbed as quickly to start a boys’ band in the movie, “The Music Man.”

Yet, what effect of all this on our contemplative time? I mean those down times, fingers immobile, when you chance to wonder what all this communicating really amounts to? Will we pay attention better? Will we all have to wear those cockroach-size clips on our ears?

We all know some around us whose email never sleeps. They can’t process fast enough to be sure Facebook approves. They’ve never sat idling even to warm a car engine for two minutes. No pauses, yet they are running on cognitive empty. They don’t know the quietest place in the U.S. is located near us on the Olympic Peninsula.

This isn’t a 200-year-old Ned Ludd (think “Luddite”) plea to shun modern machines. But for island Zealots, please add to our application by March 27, one of the benefits of speedier w-fi will be an opportunity to turn-off quicker. That is, to give us time to muse about connecting faster and assimilate.

The implications of that gap are big and growing. There must be some place on our “app” that covers local concern for what’s called content sensitive, and whether more of it faster in the same or similar vein without down time is ultimately worth it?

R.O. Conoley

Sunrise Drive