sitting at the small orange table is a man and his incredibly attractive wife. or girlfriend. or whatever. it doesn't really matter because i am admiring her just the same.
neither are the wiser, since both are completely engaged in anything but my presence, or even each other. they are far too busy texting other people; squinting and thumbing at miniature keyboards, tapping out randomness.
if i could, i would join in and send her something like:
omg u r so hotttt!!!!
or something equally profound and eloquent. but i do not.
because in the last few weeks, i've decided to simplify my life, and in my own kind of way, get off the grid. or at least parts of it.
• • •
i can not say that i invented the internet, but i can say that i was an early adopter before i even knew it.
my first real job was at a university, which meant there was a fair amount of money and resources invested in technology. one day, a team of infotech guys visit. they give us new terminals and hook us up with wubba wubba wubba access.
this was way back in dialup days, before there was enough bandwidth to adequately handle pictures and images. which meant i spent time online visiting various sites consisting of nothing more than text and the occasional stagnant logo.
and then i discovered chat rooms.
during the workday, i'd check in every once in a while to see who was online and what they were doing. there were lots of other young folks like me out there, aimlessly wandering around, most at colleges ranging from minnesota to australia. and that was kind of cool.
so cool, that one day i'm abruptly cut off for exceeding my six hour web limit during my eight hour work day.
only then do i realize that by logging into our crude system each day, that the infotech guys have a full and complete history of everywhere i've been and everything i've done. i also realize that they're pretty tight with the boss and meet with him pretty regularly to update him on the status of this new venture.
that sinking feeling hits.
the same one i feel months later, when i use our electronic messaging system to send a romantic note to a friend, but accidentally forward it to the entire department.
ugh.
• • •
after that premature walk in cyberspace, i'm hesitant to grasp emerging technology. everyone but me has a hotmail account. and when i finally get a cell phone, it takes many months and lots of convincing for me to keep it on full time, and not just power it up every few hours to check messages or make emergency calls.
but after that, i'm off and running. completely accessible at any given moment, and taking it personally if an email is not responded to within twenty four hours. and like everyone else, i become an online entity. i pay my bills, join forums, order gifts and keep in touch through electronic interface.
it is no longer a novelty, as much as it is a standard part of life. electronically checking in is the first thing i do each morning, and the last thing i do each nite.
• • •
at our last family gathering, my nieces and i spend a fair amount of time texting each other silly insults, even though we're all under the same roof.
on a recent road trip, i spend more time looking up things using gps than i do enjoying the scenery or the company of my passenger.
if there's more than one person in line ahead of me at the grocery store, i'm using an app on my phone to check the weather, the latest news, or tinkering with a new game.
i get automatically generated notices about the latest health news, music releases, and updates about my movie queue.
at a breakfast with friends, we all spend time looking up the latest viral videos and hovering over tiny mobile screens.
• • •
in the end, it feels like the cost of being connected to everything inevitably means being more disconnected from everyone.
i don't tweet, and don't have a spacebook or myface page to maintain, but still feel like i have hit my critical mass.
i have become consumed by my consumption. developed an insatiable hunger, and a need to feed on whatever is on my plate.
so now it's time for a change.
• • •
i've lived without the dazzle of my iphone for three weeks, and just yesterday completely zeroed out my inbox. i've unsubscribed from every email list, shut down unnecessary online accounts, and disabled texting from my calling plan.
at a time when everyone seems eager to add even more electronic function to their dysfunction, i have regressed to the point of the modern caveman. and i kind of like it.
i no longer feel the pressure to read the latest headlines, update the software on my phone, review the latest special offers, or add my two cents to an online thread. i've done my best to reduce my cyber footprint to something more reasonable and humane. less distracting.
i interface with people more, and machines less; all in an effort to get back to that place where my life was a little less complicated, and i was a little more happy.
yesterday i had a two hour conversation with a good friend i hadn't talked to in a while.
it was far better than any instant message could have been.
