You read it right…not "technically" but "technologically" depressed. I have actually been thinking about this since last year when I spent weeks in a chair recovering from neck surgery. Due to the meds and pain, I couldn't always focus on a novel, so I would read magazines and watch TV. At first (for about 2 days) it was kind of a luxury to be in control of the clicker and make my way through dozens of cooking/HGTV/ and do-it-yourself shows. It didn't take me long to realize that I most likely could not use those copious amounts of butter and retain my girlish figure, CT Dad would not be laying wide plank wood flooring in the laundry room, and the HGTV dream home would not be mine even if I registered every day. There is a kind of cloud that comes over me when I spend too much time plugged in. It isn't a quick and violent storm, but almost a slow building rain shower that saps my energy and tells me how much I "have yet to do" to be happy.
This week it came rushing back when my email was hacked and the account was shut down for 24 hours. How could I possibly live without email for that long? What if something important happened, or worse yet, an email was lost in the shuffle? I may miss out on a Groupon! (ok..that was a joke). The VERY next day, I turned my cell on after bible study, readying myself to start talking and connecting and a strange message said, "your phone is missing it's memory card…you may still be able to make an emergency call…contact your provider". My impatient side was thinking, "What if I was on the side of the road and couldn't use my phone??...How do I CONTACT MY PROVIDER??" It struck me later, after a trip to T-Mobile for a re-set…How much more clear could God be? Does He actually send text messages? "Contact my provider" took on a whole new meaning.
Last night, Dave was home and we had a chance to spend about 2 hours with Will. We had to do a Cost CO run for new glasses before returning him to his dorm. During that time, CT Dad received an important business call and spent about 20 minutes talking on the phone in CC. We kind of laughed it off…business is important and it pays the bills. I typically defend my husband to the end. Last night, something changed. At some point, on the drive back to campus, the phone calls ceased and Dave proclaimed, "No more funeral driving". This is a term we use when one person in the car has to be on a call, and the rest of the people can't talk, listen to the radio, or basically move a muscle. Will recalled driving with ME (who ME??) and not being able to talk because I was on the phone with someone else. It struck me that I am just as guilty. Why do we need to be plugged in ALL OF THE TIME?
This week, take a few hours off…put down the phones, release the mouse, flip off the TV with the supermodels selling butter and talk to each other. I think WE will be pleasantly surprised that the technology depression will be snuffed out …we may even be able to CONTACT OUR PROVIDER!
Coffee Talk Mom
Comments