When I asked for the three weeks off for the Canada ride next June, my boss wrote back that he's very excited for me and, oh by the way, can you be available for us while you're gone if we have issues or questions? I wrote back that this was going to be a time for me to reflect and "Get Away From it All™" so I would not be checking work email but I would be available via phone for emergencies. But the whole thing got me thinking... Am I really turning it all off? Not really. I mean, I'll have Internet and cell phone coverage at most locations, I'll certainly be blogging from the road. It made me wonder if i ever really rest my mind.
Today, I was at the eye doctor and while I had the typical "The doctor will be right with you" 15 minute wait, I broke out my gaming/Internet surfing/iPod/movie playing/navigational aid/email getting iPhone and started doing a crossword. It made the time go by faster but is that always desirable?
Later, I was chatting with a co-worker who is driving to LA tonight. I was telling him how I didn't envy him for that boring I-5 stretch and he said, "Oh I love I-5. It's so straight that I can totally lose myself in thought without being distracted by having to focus on the road too much." He's so right! Again, I thought, do I ever rest my brain?
What did we do before all this? Doesn't anyone just stare at a wall anymore? It may sound silly, but what are we missing by constantly entertaining our minds with gizmos and moving media and video games? Even reading a book is distracting the mind from stillness. Why are we afraid of stillness and silence? Is there a big boogie man waiting to attack us if we ever just stop and quietly reflect?
I think I'm going to start setting a little time aside each week for some real do-nothing silence. No Internet, no TV, no iPhone, no nothing. Just me and a chunk of wall or a candle to stare at. If you don't hear from me again, then I was eaten by a big dragon which lives in the silence. At that point, be afraid... be very afraid.
1 comment:
Hi friend!
I went to Denmark this summer – just me and my son. My husband stayed home. We were supposed to stay with family, but due to too many arriving at similar times, a family member offered that my son and I could stay at her summer house by ourselves. It sounded like fun, so we said yes. Little did I realize at the time that would mean for the first four days we would have no phone, no Internet, no car, just a cute house overlooking the ocean and two bikes.
I went through the “need to be connected” withdrawals for the first 24 hours, then suddenly realized how absolutely freeing it was! I had a cell phone which I could turn on for emergencies, but kept it off other than to consciously turn it on to call my husband and say "Hi!"
After two days my family, who we saw for occasional meals and outings, noted the difference. I was lighter (no not from weight loss), more free, smiling and relaxed. We did silly things like buy carrots at a local store for horses we didn’t know. Rode bikes in the forest, watched the sun set at midnight on the 21st of June!
I could go on forever with the great experiences we have had…but the most important part is…it has changed me forever. When we went camping, I took up watercolor painting – because now I notice the little things in the big picture.
North BC is one of my favorite places, heading north even further along the water. I just love it!
I know that God will lead you as He did me, to places (internally and externally) where we can find peace and learn to slow down. Have FUN on your trip, not the usual kind, more like, "I am really free to do what I want to do without expecting to be interrupted by an electronic device and without really caring what anyone else might think is silly" (I held a jellyfish in my hands and screamed and laughed).
I can just see you standing by the side of the road, tears in your eyes at just how beautiful the colors are when the sun is setting behind the trees and you suddenly notice that there is more blue in the world than black, more yellow than white and together they are life itself.
I wish you Bon Voyage! I’ll keep reading!
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