Cell phones.
The technology that revolutionized the way we live our lives. Sometimes, just for fun, I like to talk to my dance students (who are increasingly obsessed with their OWN cell phones) about what life was like for me growing up, before cell phones existed. My favorite comical technological device to talk to them about is the pager. I explain to them what a pager was....that you could call someone's pager, but that they couldn't call you back. How if you wanted to call them back, you either had to find a landline phone or use a pay phone, where you would need a quarter to make a call. My explanation of this process is always met with quizzical looks and numerous questions in response, but most of all disbelief. Kids these days simply can't fathom how we functioned (and managed to survive) in this primal way.
Unless I run out of battery, I almost never have to worry anymore about how to get from one place to another, how to MAKE anything, where or when I'm going to meet someone or really 'wonder' about anything at all. If I have a question, I can get an immediate answer...from my phone. For better or for worse, we are all slaves to these devices that are our alarm clocks, calendars, dictionaries, recipe books, and entertainment systems. And I often ask myself this question: are we the better for it?
Here's a question for you: When was the last time you turned off your phone? For a day? For a weekend? or have you EVER? With my personal cellphone being so intertwined with my job and my business, I HAVE to turn it off sometimes to get some time away from work and to recharge my own battery. One thing that cell phones have done is made it so that anyone, anywhere, is super easy to contact at anytime. That's great when you're trying to...say...find a friend at a festival or your partner in a crowded shopping center, but this double edged sword means that sometimes I have parents or clients texting or calling me at 10:30pm - or 5 o'clock in the morning. Boundaries are something that get lost easily with cell phones, when people more often think of what's easiest and most convenient for themselves rather than respecting one's private life and family time.
I LOVE turning my phone off. In fact, it might be one of my favorite things. I usually do so for an entire day at least once every other week, sometimes more. The last time I took an international vacation, I left my phone at home on the desk beside my bed for almost 2 weeks. It was so awesome. Some worry about my safety when I do this - what will happen if I have an emergency or need help? And I remind them that with most of the places I travel to, I question whether cell phone service even exists at all - so in that case, I'd get help the old fashion way - holler for it. And if I am in a place where service is present, I guarantee almost every other person surrounding me has a cell phone on them they'd be more willing to share in a pinch.
To me, there is no freer feeling than being untethered to that device. SOME people feel the opposite. Without their cell phone, they feel fear, stress and anxiety creep in, paralyzed by the thought of losing their trusted aid. And I realize that some people can't simply turn their phone off on a whim because they have children to take care of and look after or potential emergencies (such as anticipating the loss of a parent) to respond to. Some may argue that life doesn't offer you the opportunity to "turn off" the world and the noise around you. But I encourage you, whatever your circumstances, to MAKE that opportunity happen for yourself. Emails don't stop coming in and people won't stop calling when I hit the power button, but it turns out that ALL of those emails and voicemails are always waiting for me when I get back. And that MOST things CAN wait. And what happens to me emotionally during the time that phone is turned off is well worth it. When I power down my cell, all of a sudden all distractions and external connections fade away and I'm left with myself. And I am fully present. I suddenly have extra time to focus on me and my family, and to be fully immersed in the present - to read, to knit, blog, to go for a hike...simply to lay on the ground and stare up at the sky, deciphering if the clouds really do in fact have abstract shapes they're making for me or if I'm just seeing things. To notice the newt crawling through the grass next to me and ponder where he's headed. To listen to the wind as it gently makes its way through the trees. I have the opportunity to do some things I maybe, just maybe wouldn't have done otherwise...
Through my own process, I have discovered that having time to wonder - or possibly even be bored - is a healing thing. This is where inspiration is sometimes born. This is where one can fully embrace the silence and emptiness surrounding oneself and reflect on life, love and relationships - for better or for worse. Instead of looking at someone else's life through the lens social media, stepping away from the phone for a few days at a time gives us time to look introspectively and work on one's own life. It helps us reconnect with the now and focus on the precious, fleeting time before us and beautiful people who surround us. I won't argue that cell phones are bad - they add a lot of value and convenience to our lives. But sometimes, their addictive qualities steal our focus so much that we lose touch with what's most important in life, and receive in return a distorted view of a life we wish we had, when in fact, if we took a moment to turn away from the screen and dig in, we'd see that the most beautiful life, or the promise of it, is lying right in front of us.
The technology that revolutionized the way we live our lives. Sometimes, just for fun, I like to talk to my dance students (who are increasingly obsessed with their OWN cell phones) about what life was like for me growing up, before cell phones existed. My favorite comical technological device to talk to them about is the pager. I explain to them what a pager was....that you could call someone's pager, but that they couldn't call you back. How if you wanted to call them back, you either had to find a landline phone or use a pay phone, where you would need a quarter to make a call. My explanation of this process is always met with quizzical looks and numerous questions in response, but most of all disbelief. Kids these days simply can't fathom how we functioned (and managed to survive) in this primal way.
Here's a question for you: When was the last time you turned off your phone? For a day? For a weekend? or have you EVER? With my personal cellphone being so intertwined with my job and my business, I HAVE to turn it off sometimes to get some time away from work and to recharge my own battery. One thing that cell phones have done is made it so that anyone, anywhere, is super easy to contact at anytime. That's great when you're trying to...say...find a friend at a festival or your partner in a crowded shopping center, but this double edged sword means that sometimes I have parents or clients texting or calling me at 10:30pm - or 5 o'clock in the morning. Boundaries are something that get lost easily with cell phones, when people more often think of what's easiest and most convenient for themselves rather than respecting one's private life and family time.
I LOVE turning my phone off. In fact, it might be one of my favorite things. I usually do so for an entire day at least once every other week, sometimes more. The last time I took an international vacation, I left my phone at home on the desk beside my bed for almost 2 weeks. It was so awesome. Some worry about my safety when I do this - what will happen if I have an emergency or need help? And I remind them that with most of the places I travel to, I question whether cell phone service even exists at all - so in that case, I'd get help the old fashion way - holler for it. And if I am in a place where service is present, I guarantee almost every other person surrounding me has a cell phone on them they'd be more willing to share in a pinch.
To me, there is no freer feeling than being untethered to that device. SOME people feel the opposite. Without their cell phone, they feel fear, stress and anxiety creep in, paralyzed by the thought of losing their trusted aid. And I realize that some people can't simply turn their phone off on a whim because they have children to take care of and look after or potential emergencies (such as anticipating the loss of a parent) to respond to. Some may argue that life doesn't offer you the opportunity to "turn off" the world and the noise around you. But I encourage you, whatever your circumstances, to MAKE that opportunity happen for yourself. Emails don't stop coming in and people won't stop calling when I hit the power button, but it turns out that ALL of those emails and voicemails are always waiting for me when I get back. And that MOST things CAN wait. And what happens to me emotionally during the time that phone is turned off is well worth it. When I power down my cell, all of a sudden all distractions and external connections fade away and I'm left with myself. And I am fully present. I suddenly have extra time to focus on me and my family, and to be fully immersed in the present - to read, to knit, blog, to go for a hike...simply to lay on the ground and stare up at the sky, deciphering if the clouds really do in fact have abstract shapes they're making for me or if I'm just seeing things. To notice the newt crawling through the grass next to me and ponder where he's headed. To listen to the wind as it gently makes its way through the trees. I have the opportunity to do some things I maybe, just maybe wouldn't have done otherwise...
