I confess, I am beginning to hate technology.
I would like to say I embrace it, I praise it, I lift it to the sky with choirs of angels.
But some days I can’t. Because it’s only good when it works.
That’s a pretty callous attitude, but really, would good is internet if it goes down? What good is a phone if it can’t call anyone? And why have a television if you have to be connected to an international company that is sorry, but you’ll have to wait 8 days for a repair person to fix an outdated connector in a metal box on the other side of the fence? (And you find out from the service technician that they never should have installed it that way in the first place?)
I recently went through a weekend with nothing working—at least nothing technologically related. After fully appreciating and being grateful that I did not have a real problem—like a bad diagnosis, a loved one in the hospital, or no food to eat—I considered my options.
A. Go insane.
B. Take deep breaths, and find other things to occupy my time.
C. Eat every possible form of junk food on the planet.
D. Rest, knowing there wouldn’t be any interruptions.
E. Go outside even more than usual.
F. Walk my dog even more than I usually do.
G. Think back to the days when we were kids and we loved weekends outdoors, running, playing, flying kites, eating popsicles, making clover chains, etc….none of which required technology.
What did I do? A combination of the above. I definitely listened to music more. I spent more time talking to my dog (they are very good listeners). I sat still and listened to the wind, the rain, the birds outside my door. I spent more time sitting outside just being quiet. I was thankful beyond words that I had air conditioning.
I got some work done I had been dreading, now there was no reason to postpone it. I cleaned a few areas of my home that I normally would walk by and dismiss. I actually lit all the candles in my den at night and did my best to meditate and enjoy the quiet. Once I let go of the frustration of not being to watch a certain show or check up on a specific website, I actually just relaxed.
It’s interesting how we let technology run our lives. It has become our master in many ways, deciding how rushed we are in the mornings, how much we can get done during the day, and what our evenings will be like. We feel ruled by it in many ways.
The weekend reinforced my desire to “cut the cord” so to speak. Not being as brave as some of my friends, I am not going the antenna route yet for TV, but I have cut my cable and am trying one of the streaming services instead. So much cheaper, and while it requires kind of a different way of watching television, it feels like I’m in control now. I’ve never been one to constantly check Facebook or other websites, especially on the weekends. I’ll be doing it even less in the future.
I do appreciate how technology has made our lives easier in many ways. Of course medical technology comes to mind. Researching information over a computer at my desk is much, much easier than rummaging through library basements (though sometimes I kind of miss that). Any technology that helps us consume less, helps the environment, makes it easier to feed people in need or save lives is absolutely worth it.
But I want to find a balance between what I really require in my home and office, versus what I’m told by the “experts” I need. And if you’re going to put it in my home, then please be reachable when it stops working.
Because it will.
But I’ll survive. Because I’m old enough to remember not having it, and not feeling deprived.
Old movies are great. But so is a sunset. Don’t miss it!
“The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.” B.F. Skinner
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