At the laundromat last week, I flipped through some magazines and happened across an interesting article in MaryJane’s Farm (June-Jully 2011) called “Off the grid”. It really was perfect timing because I had begun thinking about this very topic for a blog post.
We have cell phones (with internet connection on one), a radio, a TV with several channels, and a laptop. Yet despite the technology, our location makes me feel very disconnected from the world. That might seem scary to some, and part of me thought it would be, but now that I’m here I’m realizing it feels, somehow, refreshing!
I’m beginning to realize how stuck I felt, so attached to the internet before we moved. That’s party why I ditched facebook last May, but even after that the appeal of the computer to fill a few minutes void here, or a few minutes there, kept me in a rut I was liking less and less.
Say’s MaryJane Butters:
“If necessity is the mother of invention, however, then I contend that overload must be the mother of simplification. Slowly but surely, I’m retraining myself to recharge without electricity. It wasn’t so long ago that I was sleeping under the stars somewhere out among the Rocky Mountains, far from civilization. I’d go for weeks without hearing the sound of another human voice, and that was okay. It was amazing, in fact. And although I continue to count my daily work as a most bountiful blessing, it has a way of wearing me out if I let it. That’s why I make it a priority to go “off the grid” as often as possible. It’s my way of getting grounded when I feel swamped by the techno-undertow”.
I don’t normally quote so much from people, but I really enjoyed this article, the whole thing was great.
Truth be told, I wasn’t looking forward to losing my internet connection, and it was probably the biggest thing I complained about to Papa before moving, but the pleasant surprise was how much joy I got out of breaking my internet habit. I only use the internet for specific research, uploading posts (most of which are uploaded at once and schedule to appear on different days), and responding to emails once a day. Surfing the web is a thing of the past.
And now, I have more time to keep the house straightened, watch the kids while they play, and do fun things like write, and create. It really is a wonder that the world keeps going around, even if you don’t check your email every hour! It’s so satisfying, you should try it sometime!
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