Enough of those internet-free days for me, at least for now. The experience definitely slowed down the pace of my internet and email frenzy and helped me balance solitude and community. For an entire 24 hours, here I was, more alone than usual: watching the weather, watching my thoughts, meditating, napping, reading, walking: no email, no internet, no Face Book, no looking at the clock. Not easy.
I’m glad I did it but I must admit that hanging out with Me all that time can have its downside. Did I get too introspective? Too self-involved? Lose perspective on my life-purpose? Become unnecessarily lonely? Questions, to ponder; to answer would be to say, “Yes, and No.”
By the second day I realized that I was feeling at odds with everything, so I eased off. My thoughts were floating around, without an anchor or much conceptual grounding and with very little sense of purpose, which is sooooo NOT me. When I returned to email and my blog, some kind of purpose fell into place, and I felt less self-involved. Family, email friends, and friends on my blog whose names I do not know, are a part of who I am, part of my life, part of my purpose.
I like the idea of building an occasional internet-free day into my life. I think of it as a spiritual practice, like fasting (which of course I don’t do). Giving up something for a period of time, be it an hour, day or month, helps me understand what’s important (and what isn’t). Um, addictions come in many forms.
One more thing. In reading this over, I am aware that it sounds much more dramatic than it was. Let me just say that it is a challenge to describe the emotional content of what goes on inside my head.
Another one more thing. After a month’s hiatus, I started a jigsaw puzzle. A satisfying way to get out of my head. Of course, they can become addictive, too.
I’m glad I did it but I must admit that hanging out with Me all that time can have its downside. Did I get too introspective? Too self-involved? Lose perspective on my life-purpose? Become unnecessarily lonely? Questions, to ponder; to answer would be to say, “Yes, and No.”
By the second day I realized that I was feeling at odds with everything, so I eased off. My thoughts were floating around, without an anchor or much conceptual grounding and with very little sense of purpose, which is sooooo NOT me. When I returned to email and my blog, some kind of purpose fell into place, and I felt less self-involved. Family, email friends, and friends on my blog whose names I do not know, are a part of who I am, part of my life, part of my purpose.
I like the idea of building an occasional internet-free day into my life. I think of it as a spiritual practice, like fasting (which of course I don’t do). Giving up something for a period of time, be it an hour, day or month, helps me understand what’s important (and what isn’t). Um, addictions come in many forms.
One more thing. In reading this over, I am aware that it sounds much more dramatic than it was. Let me just say that it is a challenge to describe the emotional content of what goes on inside my head.
Another one more thing. After a month’s hiatus, I started a jigsaw puzzle. A satisfying way to get out of my head. Of course, they can become addictive, too.