Monday, December 12, 2011

media fast Day 1: the shakes

4 comments:
 

Housewife’s log, day 1, Planet of Not Even Pretending To Know Star Trek Lingo:

The 7 of us residing in this house have embarked on a media fast this week, for a variety of reasons. The MOG has multiple spiritual quests, which I am also on, and in addition to that, I recognize that I am struggling with sadness, which typically plunges me into all-day Facebook refreshing and too much TV and movies via interwebs. I think it will be healthy for me to actually deal with my sadness instead of self-medicating via technology. The Artsy-teen-in-residence and all the miniclarks don’t have a choice, because we literally unplugged the internet.

Despite being raised by a techie geek and having most of my relationships and friendships online, I want my kids to learn how to live in an analog world. So maybe this week of misery cutting back will help us relate to each other more in a real way. Don’t be too quick to congratulate me on cutting off the virtual world, because a) this blog is on the internet and b) it’s just a week.

I’m writing this on Sunday night, end of day 1. I definitely feel a little jittery and anxious, and am continually picking up my phone to check Twitter or Facebook, wanting contact with somebody besides my immediate relatives here. I am so used to sharing my thoughts and pictures every few hours, it seems strange to talk to my kids or watch them play without making mental 140 character notes to be posted later tonight.

I’ve read 2 novels today and I imagine I’ll be mainlining some cookies in a minute, so it’s not like I’m filling the empty space with prayer and meditation. I have so many coping mechanisms, I’ve just cut off one, which has been my primary form of community and communication. Maybe I’ll make some progress there, I hope.

Day 1, in the can. 6 to go. 

4 comments:

  1. Cheering you on. I kept reminding myself that it was YOU that was writing this, not ME. Right there with you in agreement for balance.
    When you have finished this particular mission, with success, beam me up sister.
    DianaD

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  2. "Resistance is futile."
    So. . .
    "Live long and prosper."

    quotes from Star Trek

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  3. I'm impressed. I keep toying with the idea; maybe if you come out alive at the end, I'll go for it.

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  4. When I'm depressed, I check my facebook, check my email, check my blogger account to see if anyone I follow has posted a new blog, check my phone, repeat, repeatedly. Sometimes for hours. It's bad. My brother, sister and I recently moved our of our parents house and got our own place. We have a TV, but we don't have cable. It was pretty tough for the first month. When I'd get stressed, I so badly wanted to just stare at the TV screen and "forget" about my problems before losing concsiousness for the night. I quickly discovered that I have no idea how to deal with stress properly. Still trying to figure that one out as I go. Christian fellowship seems to work pretty well.

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