Something Refreshing in the Digital Age Part 2: Realizations

I know that I am not alone with this feeling that the digital age has become too much. I know there are others who have come to this conclusion too. They are not reading this blogpost because they have turned off screens, unplugged toasters and shut off the lights; they are outside playing right now. Or perhaps they've come to a similar realization.

I've realized this:

1—It feels good to read a book, a real book, not a PDF or (as much as I like mine) a Kindle file.

2—A short conversation on the phone to arrange a meet up is more efficient than a text conversation that becomes a needy LTR.

3—Purposefully thinking about someone you love who is far away and then sitting down to hand write an actual letter feels really good.

4—Going to the mailbox to sift through shit only sucks until you discover a hand written letter from someone you love who lives far away.

5—The feel of a paintbrush on a canvas has a physical sensation that cannot be emulated with an icon on a screen.

6—Putting the view finder of a camera to your face seems to attract attention.

7—Buying a roll of film, loading it into a camera, snapping pictures, dropping the exposed roll off and then wanting anywhere an hour to a week to get the results is both time consuming and it costs money. But the act of taking the picture will last longer than the instant FB upload, 35 likes in ten minutes and then forgotten.

8—Chances are, you won't look back over your life, or over the last year and say “I wish I spent more online.” If you say, “I wish I spent more time with my friends and family,” that probably doesn't feel so good.

9—I'm Generation X. We were bred to loath the media. We called it mass media. Today, the mass has been replaced with social. Social media? It's like spreading herpes. If the media is the man, or big brother, it's best not to fraternize.

10—Life is not a final product. Life is a process. It's a finite amount of days. It is not a crime to go outside and play.

So now it becomes obvious, at least to me, where is refreshment in this digital age?

Next time: Something Refreshing