Do you want more simplicity in your life? I do. I want to be less connected but still know when things happen around me.

I want to be in control of this connectivity.

It wasn’t too long ago, when email first came out *lol*, and my computer announced to me from a separate room ‘You’ve got mail!’ that I had an idea.  I wondered how handy it would be if we had some remote gadget in the adjoining room that would let us visually see WHO that email was from so we could decide if we needed to walk back into the office to answer that email.

Of course, that was a fleeting idea. It was along with my fleeting notion of a law that would make all bottles and food jugs square so that they’d better fit into a refrigerator.

It turns out that it wouldn’t be but a few years until our bag phones that we so proudly lugged around, grew legs, came ashore and evolved into these magnificent smart phones.

They became these tiny computers that do everything for us. These sleek and slick objects that we depend so much on but, unlike the mega bag phone that you could never lose, we misplace our smart phones daily because of their diminuitive dimensions. They keep us scheduled and connected to the rest of the world. They keep us on task. They keep us productive. They keep us attentive, entertained and informed.

They keep us.

Recently I heard about a ‘lite phone’ that people are scarfing up that is small as a credit card and ONLY does phone. It’s 150 bucks and 60 a year and it is already sold out. I’m on a waiting list for this phone that is meant to be a complement to your big ole sexy phone, not replace it.

I have since found that my Note 8, which I love dearly and still struggle to find a name worthy of her amazingness, has a setting on it that was meant to be a power saver. This setting ONLY allows you to have phone/text/camera/browser. No scrolling through pictures, no Gmail and egad, NO FACEBOOK.

So yesterday was my first day utilizing this new setting in my life. I was pretty amazed. No dings except a text message and I’m ok with that.

There were times, say for instance during my lunch, when it was MY CHOICE that I’d flip the power settings off. Within a few seconds, my large black device beeped and boinged itself back to life as if it had been on a vacation and had so much to tell me about that had happened while it was away. I caught up on what was needed and then, flipped it back into it’s vacay and went on about my day.

Went about my day only listening for a phone call or a text message.

I found that I had a better day. Because I know that many people are just like me, it’s hard to separate ourselves from some things. Let’s take Facebook as an example. If Facebook is open and available, I feel compelled to look at it. That form of social media draws me like a siren drew her sailors. I need to check what’s going on in the world.

I mean someone could have lost another dog (or found one), someone put up another ‘hate Trump’ post, there are more ‘rules for a good man’ that just came out or someone posted a meme of a cat doing a pole dance. I have to make sure that I’ve ‘liked’ those necessities, right?

Don’t get me wrong, I love my Facebook.  I posted a link to this blog there. There is a place for social media in our lives in 2017, I do believe that. But social media can be like chocolate. Too much is bad for you. After I got home and sat down, I perused my Facebook.

I did find out many things that I do need to be aware of but the world didn’t hinge on my knowledge of those things.

Social media should be optional. But because of marketing and smart phones in our lives, it has went from optional to essentially a requirement that we be attentive to it 100% of our day. We have to feed the siren.

With yesterday’s settings, I didn’t feel like I had to see if someone had replied to or liked anything that I had shared. I didn’t feel the siren drawing me in because I had muzzled the siren and told her I’d get to her when I had more time. I’d get to her when I wanted to get to her. I felt more engaged with the people and the world around me. Seeing that I have a new job that requires more gray matter to be activated, this electronic separation immensely helped that effort as well.

This was just the first day of this new freeing adventure. I’ll keep you posted on it.  In a few hours, I plan to have coffee with a buddy I haven’t seen in several months. My phone will be there but you’ll have to phone or text me if you need me. I won’t be ‘checking in’ for our coffee bro-date.

I’ll be listening to what he has to say, in person. While my electronic siren sits on standby;

muzzled next to my Americano with steamed cream.

 

That’s the best that I can tell about it,

~Mark