They’re calling me crazy.
Why in the world would I want to go backwards in technology instead of forward?
Why would I want to type frustratingly away on clicking keys only to be unable to post instantaneously to Facebook?
How would I stay in touch with the outside world? Why would I want to do this?
Well, let me tell you…
Several months ago, my husband and I noticed that we were on our phones an awful lot. Our kids were seeing our phones more than our faces, and we’d often be half listening to each other when important conversations were happening. Not long after, half-hearted jibes of “We should just get rid of our phones” started up and we’d laugh and laugh and then put our phones back to our noses.
After a while though, we started to mean it.
So a couple of months ago, we started researching. We looked into purchasing “dinosaur phones” or “dumb phones”, and were delighted to find out that we’d save a pretty good chunk of change per month as well. I was even more delighted that I had the option to purchase the phone I’d had in high school, the enV2. A few weeks later, we made our purchases. They arrived in the mail, we promptly headed to our local Verizon store, and TA-DA! We were in the world of lesser technology and more invested time.
Now don’t get me wrong, I think it’s completely possible for people to have smartphones and be invested in the world around them. I also think it’s completely possible for someone without a smartphone to be totally uninvested as well. But for our family, we saw and issue and felt God leading us to this particular way to amend it. And so far, it’s been amazing.
I’ve had more time to spend with my kids. I’ve been down on the floor playing, I’ve taken the time to face paint my oldest and tickle the giggles out of my baby. And while I’m still getting used to being separated from a device (and not always doing well with it, I’ve spent way too much time sitting at this computer today) I’ve found such blessing being separated from constant connection.
I will say there are things I miss, of course. As well as there are things that I think I’m absolutely unsafe without, AKA a GPS. Ask my mother about my “mountain adventure” and she will nearly cry at the fact that I’m currently driving around in society without navigation. But anyway, that’s another story for another blog.
But overall, it’s been a delight and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the freedom. It’s nice knowing that things can be happening all over the world (hello, election year?) and people can be emailing or messaging me (sorry, Mom!) and I will just be sitting obliviously reading a book (they still make those?) until I decide to turn on my computer.
So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go back to my lovely life in the dark ages. Feel free to call, send a letter, or use a carrier pigeon. I’ll be the one nose deep in a novel, frolicking in a meadow, or making my own butter.
Peace.
