I can't smell the herd

My primitive mind has it's own idea about what connectivity means.

I'm lying, not quite asleep, in the grass, beneath a copse of trees. Beyond, the savannah is visible in the moonlight. And around me sleeps the herd.

I can hear them breathing and grunting as they sleep. I can feel a warm body on each side of me. The rise and fall of a chest. And I can smell them.

These sensations tell me that all is well. I'm part of a group that will shelter and protect me, my mate, and our offspring.

My modern mind knows that I am more connected to the rest of my species than I have ever been. But I can no longer smell them. I tweet, update, connect and check-in. But is anyone really listening? None of these networks makes me feel at rest, within a group to which I really belong.