I have been absent for a while (translation: in a lovely, cooler place celebrating the 4th of July weekend!) and come home to read all kinds of blog-ony (bologna) about turning the computer off for 48 hours and spending time with your family. Ha.
I did it for 72 hours.
So there.
And guess what. Spending time with your family is great but leaves you a little hungry for the blogworld.
And then I get home to get my fix and realize that everybody and their mother is getting a blog makeover and sprucing up their site...reading books...having babies (Congratulations Roland and family on your fourth of July baby!)...cooking for your family...sharing recipes...and doing all kinds of other things that I just don't have time to do.
(Okay, well the baby thing...but that's it.)
So then I started longing to go back to the cabin and be useless and unplug from blogworld again.
I remember recently listening to a family on some show (probably Oprah because that is where all of the radical ideas seem to start...maybe next I will be reading the "book" - Not) talking about going on a media fast. For like 30 days.
Yep. 30 days.
Ouch.
That would be hard. But it has got me thinking. No TV (what the heck...ours had a ladder through it and is kind of useless right now anyway), no internet, no ipod, limited cell phone use....blah, blah, blah.
Could you do it? I'm needing a diet coke right now just thinking about it. (And 15yo son is at camp and unable to bike ride to Sonic for me - sigh.)
So as I ponder the good, the bad, and the ugly of that whole no computer thing, I was curious to know what all of you think?
1) Could you go on a media fast that included no tv and computer (not pertaining to your job) for 30 days?
2) Would it be helpful or stressful?
3) What do you think you would learn from that?
4) Would you be a nicer person to your family, or would you be grouchy like when you are on a diet?
5) Would you even want to unplug that much for that long?
6) Is it possible that my butt would get smaller?
7) Would my fingers become crippled and arthritic from lack of keyboard use?
8) Could I find anything I needed the old-fashioned way?
9) Is there life without these little initials: LOL.
10) And really, would anybody miss me?
I guess what I might discover in that time is that I sit on my butt a lot and think about working on projects more than I actually work on them...and that I really don't feed my family as much as I clean up after them feeding themselves. I know. Shameful.
So...maybe I will try it. I will let you know, however, and not pull a Scarlett on you. Just in case any of you might be tempted to rip me off of your blogrolls. ;)
Hope to hear from you!
The Maid
12 comments:
Interesting points to ponder! I was just at my sister's for a week, and she has dial-up, so that sort of shut me off of a computer for a few days, and I have to admit, I got a little itchy for it a few times.
I'd like to think I could easily survive 30 days, but I only say that knowing the DVR would record the shows I could eventually watch, and that I have a huge stack of books that I could read (and desperately want to!) if I was off the computer. I rarely use my cell phone, but I'd have a hard time giving up the iPod. I think my mood, which is typically pretty even-keeled, would stay intact, and my house, which isn't always intact, would get more attention. When it comes down to it, some of the time I'm wasting online on with the TV isn't worth giving up the time to, yet even with all this positivity, I'm not sure I'd be willing to jump in and give up a month to the connected world!
First off, I think I'm going back to my old blog look. The new makeover doesn't show up for everyone (including me) all the time and I'm getting annoyed. So don't join that bandwagon just yet.
Second, WOO HOO for contemplating going media-free! I have to say that after 2 days without my computer, my junk drawers all got reorganized, I spent some major quality time with my family, I read, I'm noticing significantly better behavior from my well-paid-attention-to kids, but I was bored. Seriously bored after the first day. I wasn't itching to get a blog-fix as much as I knew there would be quasi-entertainment online for me and there really wasn't much "else" to do during naptime. That's when I noticed it, BTW...naptime, day 2. Walking around the house, wondering what to do.
So that's my takeaway from my computer sabbatical. I'm very glad I did it and will do it again. I don't know that I could do ALL media because I used an hour or two of that time to clear out the junk piling up on my DVR. Nothing better than watching Oprah in fast-forward looking for the fun celebrity stuff.
No problem. I watch very little TV in the first place. There's a bit of a withdrawl from the computer but once you start doing other things you move on. Blogging is a super huge time sucker. In fact, you are my last blog read for the day and then I am going to shut it down. I blogged about being sidetracked yesterday and I need to not do that today. If I shut all the computers down it helps to keep me off because I don't want to take the time to bring it all back up. I'll get back on later tonight and then again tomorrow morning.
I'm with Katie on the blog makeover. Mine is making me want to pull my hair out.
I could not go 30 days without the computer. Not only for the blogging creative outlet and the email, but because that is how I pay my bills, balance my checkbook, buy stuff, diagnose diseases, etc.
I could go 30 days without TV just because my trusty TiVo would taking care of me.
I could not do 30 days without the cell or iPod. Don't even want to try.
I would rather give up sugar. I am really thinking about it. Didn't Nicole look great last night? I might turn into a crazy, screaming lunatic, but I'll be thinner. :)
This has been going through my mind alot lately. I LOVE to blog and read other blogs. And I´m sure it takes up too much of my time. I ask myself: "does it harm anyone, when I do it? Does it help anyone?" Then I receive comments from my kids or sister or just some fellow blogger/friend and it makes it all worth while. But I´m sure it would be good to just leave the computer/TV off once in a while. But I don´t know if I want to try yet.... :)
I could NOT do it! and yes, I do believe I would be missed from blogland too!!! I get bloody phone calls when I don't update!!! Good luck if you decide to do it....
I check you everyday! So yes you would be missed but I will be here in 30 days.
I can't do it, no how no way. I love to blog and some people wouldn't come back after that long. I also love me some tv. Only at night when I can watch decorating shows and TLC.
Your question marks on my post made me laugh! I answered you in my comments.
I usually give up the computer for Lent every year. I declare it's a long Lent!
No way- no how.
I just spent 4 days on an island with only my Blackberry (so I had e-mail, cable TV, DVD player, radio and phone)...but I could not use the internet. i could not blog. I was fine for 3 days. FINE...but I nearly RAN to my computer when I got home. If I had to get off of it- I am sure I could...but WHY?
I have friends who have an austerity week from time to time. During this week, they only eat what's on hand. They clean out all leftovers, eat from the freezer, the pantry. If they don't have it, they don't go buy it. For a mom who's in the grocery store every 3 or 4 days, that just sounds WAY radical!!! But w/food prices what they are I'm intrigued enough to mull it over at least.
SO...you propose a media fast. Hm...it would be hard for us. We are oftentimes bored WITH radio, TV, computer, video games etc. (It must be summer!) We don't have a pool, we can't play games outside because it's summer in Death Valley, and we've got no money. We're just pitiful.
Let's see...the Ingalls family had a Pa who would play the fiddle, the kids would dance, Ma would smile and darn socks. Nope, that just ain't gonna happen!
hmmm, my dvr would sure be full.
seriously. it might shut down with THAT many programs recorded for 30 days.
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