Harbour Views.

I take a ferry and then a train to my place of employment most days. It's a pleasant journey but one that hasn't been touched by technology, considering the ferries have been plying their trade on Sydney Harbour since the late 1800s and the trains have been running since the 1855 line was opened to Parramatta. All the while uninterrupted while the rest of the world raced head long into a technology future no one could have imagined in the 1800s. So I find the juxtaposition of the really old carrying around the absolute latest in technology very interesting, like a giant sausage with ingredients of bytes, electrons and applications.

The morning commute used to be for friends and colleagues to meet before arriving at work, marveling at the majesty of one of the world's great harbours and if long enough on a train, maybe to read a newspaper. Today not much of that happens as individual isolation has taken over with the help of ear buds and tablets. I travel with pretty much the same 800 or so people on the ferry everyday, yet aside from recognising some faces and maybe a curt nod of recognition to some, no engagement or conversations take place.

Having said that, it's not unusual to see people conversing via their screen on Facebook, email or text. We've just stopped talking to each other face to face on the morning commute. One of the reasons is that work has encroached on all of our time, including what used to be just a journey to work and back. Expectations are that you have cleared those pesky emails by the time you hit your first morning meeting and maybe even a report written and compiled while the ferry passes through Sydney Heads. The ability to accomplish these tasks has not been lost on employers and expectations have risen with the advancement of the technology enablers.

What used to be considered dead time or unusable has now turned into usable time. For me it is often more conducive for thinking and work related matters because like everyone else the work environment consists of interruptions and meetings called by someone else. How fortunate we are to be able to read the latest news, listen to the latest podcast and improve our work smarts all the while carrying smaller and smaller technology to make this happen.

The way home often takes on a different slant with reading material leaning towards trashy gossip pages, maybe a sports story or even some YouTube fun, all the while listening and being entertained by your favourite music. The way home may even lead to some personal interaction but not too much as the technology has long since won the battle for our attention.

While I'm happy for the technology race to continue to improve my life I don't want it to get to "Star Trek" speed where I just beam myself to work. The ferry will do just nicely, no matter it creaks and rolls on its way across the harbour. After all, on the way is where we do our best work.