Disconnecting For a Day - Is it Possible?
Have you ever wondered what life was like before technology and before, cell phones, twitter, facebook, activerain and email? We've become so used to being connected that we're afraid to step away from our smartphones and computers for even a minute, let alone a day.
I"m remembering a time not so long ago when I got my first view of what being connected would be like, of what the convenience of having a cell phone might translate into.
I met a group of friends for a late lunch/early dinner at a nearby restaurant. Because it was late for lunch and early for dinner there weren't too many others there and we could clearly hear the conversation at the next table over - or the lack thereof.
There was a couple there trying to steal some time together away from work and kids. The husband started off with all good intentions of making this a meaningful pocket of alone time with his wife but was interrupted every few minutes by a ringing cell phone. To the wife's great credit she waited patiently between each interruption to continue her conversation with her husband. After about the fourth interruption in about as many minutes we offered her the use of one of our cell phones so that she could call her husband and maybe get a chance to have a real uninterrupted conversation with him.
That was before the day when everyone walked around with a cell phone. Today the problem is so much worse. Besides the ringing phone, there's the beeping notifications of a new text, email, tweet or facebook message. The handheld devices have become smaller, smarter more powerful and more intrusive. They've also become more addictive.
It's becoming harder and harder to remember what it was like before we were all on call 24/7.
Try and think back to that time before all this connectivity.
What I remember is that life was calmer. If we went out for an evening with friends, we got to spend the evening with the friends we went out with. We'd actually talk to them instead of text them and we'd talk in complete sentences. We learned to write legibly and in longhand instead of in cryptic text. We knew how to socialize with each other and we enjoyed getting together face to face instead of via a computer screen.
I don't know about you, but I miss those days. In an effort to restore some of that calm and serenity to my life, where down time is really down time I've taken to disconnecting from all my technogadgets and my computers for one day a week. You'd be amazed at how restorative it can be. I use the time instead to connect with family and to visit with friends, to read, to relax and to enjoy the simple life.
Try it! Hard as you may think it may be, you'll be happy you did. You'll find you'll be giving that friend or family member your undivided attention, free of interruptions. You'll connect in a way you never thought possible. And who knows, you may even be inspired enough to make it a weekly habit!
Flickr photo by Charles Williams & Viakenny
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