Unplugged

by Denise Hedges 

We got a chance to go to Aruba for a week again this February.  It was great.  Warm sun.  White sand beaches.  Turquoise water interspersed with an iridescent green and a deep inky blue.  Good food.  Little umbrella drinks.  Ahhhhh.

And the people there are nice too.

But you know what was really great?  Being completely unplugged!

Last year when we went, I rented a cell phone that would work in Aruba, so I could teach a couple of classes and handle some other business-related calls.  I brought my computer so I could stay on top of email and stuff.  And, I came away feeling resentful!

This year ... no way.  I arranged for someone to substitute teach for me.  I told everybody I couldn't be reached unless it was an emergency and I declared it a work-free week. 

I didn't have a phone.  I didn't have a computer or an Internet connection.  I didn't turn on the TV.  I'd just go to the gym or water aerobics every day and then out to the beach to read and enjoy.  I was unplugged and it was most excellent.  Just anticipating getting away completely made me happy for two full weeks before we even left!

But you know what?  Being altogether disconnected has become such an unusual condition in modern life that it seems unnatural and uncomfortable to a lot of folks, especially to the younger generations.  It wasn't bad for me, because I was on vacation on a Caribbean island, but had I been home, I think it would've been another story entirely.  I think I would've felt like I feel during a power outage.  When do we get back to normal?

Almost all of us are wedded to these gizmos and our instant connections to the people and information we want to access.  Of course, some of us can remember a time before cell phones and personal computers.  There were land line phones and three or four TV stations and car radios and that was it.  We can remember ... vaguely ... what life was like back then.  Personal communication devices and electronic media didn't dominate our lives.  They do today.  That's especially the case for younger folks.

I just heard about a camp for kids where the idea is to return to old fashioned outdoor activities.  No electronic devices allowed.  Radical idea, huh?   At first, the kids think they're being punished!  By the end of their time there, they love it.  What does that tell ya?  Maybe we could all use some more time devoted to those old-fashioned non-electronic activities ... time away.

Look, I'm not condemning the modern way of living or any of the electronic marvels we've come to take for granted.  I'm on the phone several hours a day.  When an email comes in, I generally hop to attention to see who's contacted me.  I'm on the Blackberry when I'm waiting for appointments or when I'm riding in a car (not driving!).  I couldn't really run my business without these things. 

But I'd like to suggest that we could all benefit from taking some time each day, or at least each week, to go unplugged ... to step away from the monitor and put the phone in a drawer and go incommunicado for a while. 

Personally, I'm resolving to take myself away from Friday afternoon till Sunday evening each week as a matter of course.

What about you?  Are you game to try it?  No cell phone.  No computer.  Maybe even no TV?

If you are, let me know what you do with your time and how it goes.  I'd love to know. 

The bottom line:  There's more to life than bits and bytes. The world can wait to hear from you and you can wait to know what's going on.

It's okay.  Go ahead ... unplug ... and enjoy.

Love,
Denise