Life Unplugged

As I mentioned in my previous post, Dr. Barton and I were able to go on a week-long get-a-way recently. It was a week sans children, medical talk, house work, and for over half of it sans cell phone service (meaning no calls in or out, no texting, and no data for Facebook, Instagram, or even google maps). Let me tell you, it was glorious! We were truly able to be just "us" without any other distractions or even temptations of distraction. 

In a world where we have become all to dependent on our technology it was refreshing to be completely unplugged. It made me realize just how much I don't need all that extra stuff no matter what excuses I make up to convince myself otherwise. I don't need Facebook to stay connected to the outside world, I need to get outside. I don't need Instagram to see what friends are up to, I need to make the time to actually visit them and talk to them. I'm not saying that any of these things are bad or that they should never be used for those purposes, just that I shouldn't rely on then for my main source of interaction and entertainment like I was. 

I have found a new resolve to unplug more often. This week really showed me how much of the world I was missing by looking for it in a screen. Try it yourself. Put your phone away in a bedroom drawer for an entire day. Don't even turn on your TV or computer. I garuntee that you'll be surprised at how much you realize you just don't need it all. I know I was. 

- Clara B.