That callous on my middle finger.
Only as much information as I can healthfully process at a time.
Work alternating with rest.
No phone calls when I'm away from home or work.
No constant games. No apps. No news about everything that was never news before, except by way of mouth, friend to friend, neighbor to neighbor.
No beeps, flashing lights, urgent incoming this or that. More of a search for stimulation when desired, not a turning off or turning away from it.
Deadlines that come from within.
Paper and books.
Real things, not screen things.
Time to think.
Time to find a rhythm.
Time to feel the open space of creativity.
A joy in discovering something new, not a sense of anxiety that a thousand people on Facebook have discovered it before me.
What do you miss about the low-tech life?
18 comments:
I miss the silences now filled by
sounds that masquerade as music.
I miss people having the time to actually "listen," rather than be obsessed with being the first one to tell.
Remember when you didn't have to stress about trying to keep up with new technology all the time?
P.S. My word verification for this comment is "foode." What are the chances? :)
Me too, Toby. (You know, I thought I still had that callous? I actually checked after I read that line. It's not there! Where did it go?)
Orel, yes....
Jama, the silence of listening is a rare thing today. And the stress of keeping up with technology and social media -- don't get me started! It was so exciting at first, but now I always feel like I'm behind on my homework.
Tabatha, I also figured that callous was permanent. And my handwriting has really gone downhill, too.
I miss all those things (except the callus--I really hated that). And I like being able to write fast enough to keep up with the thoughts in my head. I'm trying to keep my kids as low tech as possible for as long as possible. Beautiful post. I hope you're well!
Alison, I also like being able to write and revise quickly. But sometimes I miss having the crossouts and arrows and word balloons all over the paper, with the record of my revisions. Thank you, all's well here, and I hope you're doing well, too!
I miss the way that writing seems to just disappear sometimes...like the words just evaporate into a next post and a next click. So different from a book, a journal with pages...
But I love meeting people I never might have met. (Even if you are usually flat!)
A.
mourning my callous
I just bought my first laptop and I love it, but I will never give up my journals or my notebooks....or my extra large assortment of pens and pencils....or my 3-D friends!
Excellent idea for a post Toby. Thanks! Lorrie
I miss what you miss, Toby!
Time to think.
Time to find a rhythm.
Time to feel the open space of creativity.
Amy, I was just going through some of my old black-and-white notebooks where I used to sketch out stories and poems, and everything is still there. I, too, mourn the evaporation of writing online. Click! It's gone.
Hi Lorrie. I know what you mean about pens and pencils. I still get stuck in the pen aisle at Staples, comparing the tactile and ink-bearing qualities of each instrument. Love that stuff!
Clara, what happened to those days? Can we get them back?
Here's a quick read for you: The Minutes of the Lead Pencil Club
(http://www.amazon.com/Minutes-Lead-Pencil-Club-Electronic/dp/0916366847)
It takes a lot of discipline to keep the electronic STUFF to a minimum so that you can be present in the moment and LIVE, doesn't it?!?!
Toby, the minute I read this, I said to myself....MY EXACT THOUGHTS! I still have my writer's "bump" (not really a callous anymore, but a true bump!) My poor handwriting turns into an illegible scribble after about 2 sentences...it's sad...I used to have pretty "penmanship"! I LOVE pens, pencils, paper, stationary, note cards,etc! I would love to slow down my life, too, and not feel as if I'm a techno junkie. I'm going to actually give it a try, thanks to you!! Hugs!
Mary Lee, thanks for that link. Glad to know others are feeling the same way. Over time I've noticed how out of practice I am at living in the moment.
Becky, I love paper, too, and I have a collection of different-sized notebooks that -- eesh, I've stopped writing in. Kind of sad, right? How to find that balance? Sometimes I want to delete my Facebook page, and then I panic. Is it truly all or nothing? Much to think about. Thanks for your comments, and good luck with your own efforts to find a sane answer. :)
Hi, Toby--
I read this last week but couldn't respond...it was just too painful. Like others, I'm delighted in the opportunity the high-tech world has offered for connecting with you all whom I might never have met, but I find the change over the last 20 years--slow at first and then frantic lately--to be a kind of terrifying. And I am convinced (being for the last few months in a general doomsday kind of mood, and nothing Rapturous about it) that we humans have reached the moment where we have more technology than we can responsibly, judiciously use. Let me know if you want to read the ostrich poem I wrote to myself on my birthday...
Thanks for this post.
Oh, Heidi, I feel the same way. I, too, love the ease of making connections, and learning about books, conferences, awards, trends. I'm grateful for all that, but the process of being online and staring at the screen and always searching, searching, searching -- it leaves me with a sense of being without, rather than being with. Please do send me your ostrich poem (flygal716@gmail.com).
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