Connected

This is the original uncut script for the "Connected" piece which was due last week.


Once upon a time there was a power plug who thought he could connect to everyone. "I am connected," he would say. He was orange and happy. He wasn't alone. He tried to connect with other plugs. Ethernet cables, USB cables, Composite Cables, VGA monitor cables, he went everywhere to find the connections. He didn't have to make an effort, it was easy. He was addicted to the connection.

He had networks. Being connected to all those different plugs at once was great. He went to connection brothels. He would try to connect with two, or even three plugs at once. "I am connected," he would say. He didn't understand that the connections he was making were useless. They were empty.

He couldn't interact with these connections in any meaningful way. It wasn't until he saw someone just like him that he realized what he was missing. This plug went into the world and found a true connection. He saw his counterparts connect. He was jealous. He didn't have a perfect fit.

"What was the difference between me and them?" he wondered. He had met more people than they had. He had been involved in the social networks. He had three hundred and forty four Face Book friends. He knew many plugs. But was the connection real? Did the networks really make his connection?

And that was it. He understood. He left the brothels behind, and went into the world. He forgot about the social networks, and met people. And eventually he met one of his own. He made a true connection. And they lived happily ever after.