Unplugged

I've been feeling a bit too cozy with technology lately. Not that I don't appreciate the ability to <woosh> check email every ten minutes or <zap> watch a movie On Demand or <ping> cook dinner in a flash as opposed to spending four hours over the stove in the already stifling heat of summer. However, I have had a few moments where I felt like the glaze of the computer screen all too comfortably matched the glaze of my eyes after prolonged exposure.

Especially now that the sun is out and I have this beautiful little dog who reminds me how great the outdoors are on each and every one of our six daily walks, I've decided to unplug a little more often. I actually journaled a bit about it just the other day. Here is an excerpt:

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I want to bike more, sit less. Listen more, talk less. Taste more, eat less. Dream more, worry less. I will grow more flowers and vegtables; turn off the computer, the TV and other distractions more often. No computer on the weekends. I will draw, I will write, I will use my imagination again...

I want to get back in touch with nature. I want to reconnect to the world. I wish things would be hand-made more often and less often rely on chemicals. I wish people weren't as addicted to their cell phones and computers and instead meet up more often, face to face, to give each other their full attention (yes, this means turning off the phone); remembering to laugh and to see the world around them. I think everyone should wirte more letters, send more care packages, grow more flowers, seek more peace, sit in silence more often.

I wish for more grass and trees in this world, with babbling brooks and trout-filled streams. More blackberry bushes and carefree games. More cats curled in sunbeams, woken only when the jaybirds sing.

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