I decided that I needed a break from being tracked. For five days, I did not get on the internet. I did not turn on my cell phone. I did not watch live TV. I did not send mail. I did not use the navigation system on my phone. I did not pay for anything with a check-card either.
It was liberating. Within me, unique thoughts and odd observations began to take place.
Day One:
Thursday, October 16th, 2014
The tech hunger pains are very mild. If I had to get online, I guess I would go on Facebook. Probably check my e-mail. Interestingly enough, I don’t feel the urge to visit CNN or USA Today. I have no idea what is going on with ISIS, Ebola victims, or the enterovirus.
There are a few things I know about the news today:
My husband is outside working on our doorbell.
Our neighbors, Keith and Ilsa, are putting a new vinyl fence up. Well, not personally. The guys who are next to the big truck filled with cement bags and white planks will probably do the work.
It is sunny here, but not sweltering. The Southern California drought is still in force.
Not having national or international news to discuss with my husband has made me share some of my odd face-to-face encounters. Like the unhelmeted cyclist who didn’t consider the fact that she was getting pissy with the driver of a 3000 lb. Wrangler (me), who was only trying to make sure that there was enough room on the road. Or the two golden retriever puppies at the Jeep dealership. Or the exchange with the 7/11 cashier who tried to test my Spanish. Or the fact that I was able to impart some wine and IPA knowledge on a fellow swim parent. It makes me wonder what else I will see that will be newsworthy. It makes me wonder what else my internet far-sightedness has made me miss.
The anesthesia that the internet had me under has worn off - and it feels good.
Day Two
Friday, October 17th, 2014
I have no idea where my husband is. I thought he’d be home about half an hour ago. No tech means that I can't track him down.
* A half hour later *
The breeze feels good, despite the heat the California sun is delivering to us. Nearby, the trill of a phone interrupts the moment of peace. Then I remember that it is not my phone that it is ringing, as mine is off. I smile and carry on with my peaceful moment.
Day Three
Saturday, October 18th, 2014
Discoveries made while driving through town:
· A new Nothing Bundt Cakes store location opened nearby! Right before my birthday!
· Having no tech means that you can’t be Google for your spouse. Awesomeness.
· Watched House Hunters International on my DVR and couldn’t help being scared for the girl on the episode. An American girl gave up EVERYTHING in Boston to move to Honduras with Scottish boyfriend. She had no job, no friends, no family, and no ring. She bent over backwards to make sure they found a place her boyfriend liked. During the “catching up” part at the end, he commented that he found her a job where he works and that she is no longer mooching off of him and he loves coming home to his dog and his awesome waterfront rental. No mention of affection for his girlfriend. Why is this hitting me so hard?
I mourn the fact that my time without tech is coming to an end. | Day Four Sunday, October 19th, 2014 Random thoughts: I’m happy to have been evading FB and the “fur baby” posts. I can’t stand it when people call their pets their children. During a hayride at a dairy farm, we saw an eight year old boy mowing a lawn. I can’t wait for my little guy to pull his weight around that way. |
Monday, October 20th, 2014
On the to-do list for when the tech-fast ends:
Look up X-Men: Days of Future Past to see who directed it. Send said director a message to tell them how much I enjoyed it.
Download Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.
Get to the source of my husband’s Catholic ancestry. Were his Northern European Catholic ancestors as violent as mine were (Spaniards)?
Random thought:
I am glad that I made the time to wash our windows. If we build a house from scratch, we will build it from brick.
I mourn the fact that my time without tech is coming to an end.
Day One - Back to Tech
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Wow, I got a lot of FB mentions. And messages. Jiminy Christmas. Lots of emails in my inbox, but most of them are junk. Time to pay a bill. Time to text my sister to tell her that I am well, and that I cleaned the windows like I said I would.
I’m having a hard time balancing non-tech pastimes with tech ones. It is making me grouchy.
I balanced that discord by cleaning up the back patio. It was going well until I found the Brown Widow eggs under all of my patio chairs. I swear there should be a spider on the California state flag and not a bear. Went to the hardware store to buy good old Raid to kill them. It was like a shootout in the old west. We won.
Currently
Prior to my experiment, technology was my constant companion - the background noise to my quiet life. I yearned for technology to be used only as a tool; however, life changes, as it always does.
Today, I no longer live in a house that I own, but in Navy housing. It has been incredibly boring and bland. Technology silenced the voice in my head that told me that I wasn't happy here.
A change in my son's interests and plans has consequently changed my daily routine. Now, because of technology, I've landed employment (from home) which is largely reliant on the use of technology. I guess that you could say that I've come full circle with my technology beefs.
I am hoping that my work will fill me with the stimulation that Facebook and other internet content streams did. I'll keep you posted!!
Many Kind Regards,
Cyndia
Have you wondered what would happen if you made a change in your social media routine? Katie did, and this is what happened.
image credit: beautyleg2015 via Flickr