Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Pharmaclout and My Google Reality

During a recent bout of correspondence, I thought for a moment that I had invented the word "pharmaclout" as a handy way of indicating the sort of influence that the pharmaceutical industry has on the medical profession. Then I thought to do a Google search on the word. There were a total of seven hits, but they were all from the same blog: http://www.youwillanyway.blogspot.com/ Hah! I thought. It already exists and has existed since the post was written in 2004. Then I realized that was my Google reality. It doesn't exist unless it shows up in a Google search. The word pharmaclout may have been uttered countless times in recent decades. It may have been written and printed on millions of pages. But if a Google search didn't find it, I would have happily claimed it as my own invention.

As more and more information is scanned and searchable, it will be more and more tempting to ascribe to a Google reality. Forthwith I declare my intention to resist that temptation. In order to fortify myself, I shall cling to the memory of my first child's first step. I very much doubt that text, photo, or video evidence of that step can be found or ever will be found in a Google search. Yet it is one of my fondest memories, and yes indeed it really happened. There is a reality greater than Google reality. There is a reality greater than any reality I can imagine, although for some reason I have trouble imagining it.

That leads me to the day that God told me that he was not my concept, I am his concept. For me, God is the awesome name of that reality beyond imagining. God is the reality with tripersonality that loves me. Cool.

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