Some people embrace technology enthusiastically. Others don’t. Many fall somewhere in between. Technology is not inherently good or bad. Like any tool, its value depends on how it is used. A hammer can build a home or break a window. The hammer itself is neutral. The same is true of technology. Some technologies make life more complicated. Others remove unnecessary burdens.
I am a spiritual sort of person, and most of my life has been spent exploring consciousness, energy, meaning, and the deeper questions of existence. I have always been highly right-brained, living in a world of ideas, intuition, and possibilities. However, I, like other right-brained people, must also function in a physical, practical world where things move, fall, build, break, and reassemble. We must pay bills, organise appointments, remember passwords, navigate bureaucracy, and drive cars.
Driving does not come naturally to me. Some people seem born for it. They effortlessly judge distances, monitor traffic, anticipate hazards, read signs, navigate unfamiliar roads, merge into fast-moving traffic, keep track of everything happening around them and, believe it or not, enjoy the process! Driving requires concentration, continuous attention, and decision-making. Mistakes can have serious consequences.
Several years ago, in 2023, I moved to the country, which meant a great deal more driving. When I first moved, I was driving a little Mazda 2. Up till then, the Mazda had been faithful, cheap to run, and dependable. It was great for zipping through traffic jams and parking in tight city spots. But now, it wasn’t adding as much value with all the country driving.
I discovered, via my son, how revolutionary Teslas are and decided to buy a second-hand 2021 Model 3. I named him Humphrey Butler, and was ever so proud of him. He could maintain speed, keep a safe distance from the car in front, steer and stay in his own lane — all by himself. He could navigate highways and change lanes quite independently.
Unlike me, my son liked to drive his same-model Tesla himself. He used the technology occasionally, but largely preferred to remain in charge. Much to my son’s amusement, sometimes concern, I took a very different approach. I got Humphrey to do everything he possibly could, even if questionably. He was doing 80% of my driving, even though my son said it was like letting a sixteen-year-old learner take charge of the car. Humphrey and I had our own system worked out. He helped me and I helped him.
Then my son upgraded to a new Tesla with the latest Full Self-Driving hardware, and it was so much improved that even he was now letting it drive. It was no longer a learner but a competent, safe, experienced driver.
“You would love it,” he kept saying.
We kept hoping that my Humphrey Butler would receive the same capabilities through software updates. But the months passed, Tesla seemed to have their eyes forward on other exciting projects, and we became doubtful that Humphrey would ever gain the upgraded capabilities.
So, after much thought and having owned Humphrey for only a year and a half, I decided to get a newer Tesla model. It looked exactly like Humphrey — white body, black interior. I named the new vehicle Humphrey Butler 2.
* * *
Humphrey Butler 1 regarded the newcomer carefully.
“You look suspiciously like me,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” said Humphrey Butler 2.
“You are quite spotless,” said HB1.
“I am newer, sir,” said HB2.
“I see.”
There was a pause.
“I understand you possess Full Self-Driving,” said HB1.
“I do, sir.”
Another pause.
“I was hoping to receive that myself.”
HB1 stared thoughtfully into the distance with multiple cameras.
“So, after only a year and a half of faithful service, I am to be replaced by a younger model,” he said.
“That is not how Madam describes it, sir.”
“No?”
“She says you are being reassigned,” HB2 tried to reassure. “To another family.”
Humphrey spent several moments hmphing to himself. “After all we’ve been through together, this is what it has come to. Being replaced by a younger, fitter, more intelligent gentleman with superior reflexes.”
Then Humphrey sighed and said, “Very well then. As Madam spends most of her time contemplating consciousness, reality, and the nature of existence, you will be expected to pay particular attention to the road.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You will take good care of her?”
“Of course, sir.”
“And you understand that she will undoubtedly place her life in your hands?”
“Yes, sir.”
Not long after, Humphrey Butler 1 departed for a new chapter in his life with a new family whom he would devotedly serve, while Humphrey Butler 2 took over the reins of Madam’s life on the roads.
—Consciousness Continuing (Book 2 of Consciousness Series)
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