Tech-No

I was reading this article the other day, and it really made me wonder, both in a good way and a bad way. I'm as guilty as the next person of expecting to always be constantly and instantly in touch with those I love. I have email and a blog, I have a cell phone with text messaging, and I couldn't live without my internet connection. I wonder how this world ever functioned without the web, particularly where driving directions are concerned.

But I also draw the line a whole lot sooner than a lot of other people. I do not, for instance, hand out my cell phone number to just anyone. If you do have my cell number, consider yourself among the special few. Spouse, parents, siblings, in-laws, close friends (10 or so), and daycare have that number. That's about it. And most of those people only call my cell when they really need me; otherwise they call the house if they need to speak with me. Other than my spouse (once or twice a day) or my brother (2-4 times a week), my cell almost never rings. And I like it that way! And for goodness sake, get those stupid ear phone things out of your ears, especially if you are not currently on a call. We are not the Borg! (Not yet. I'm starting to think they will start implanting them at birth in the next 10 years or so.)

If we are on vacation, I *might* take the laptop with me and check it once a day, in the evenings. That's it. That is part of the point of going on vacation, to get away from being connected to things other than my family. At Christmas, I went several days without even looking at the computer. There were more fun and important things to do (like learning to make risotto!). Don't get me wrong, I love email! I like the instant-ness of it (and the search feature! LOL). And I do start to worry if I go several days without receiving one, or if most people take longer than a day or two to respond to one I sent (there are a few exceptions to this). But I can also let it go for several days without feeling like I've amputated part of myself.

I love technology. It touches my life everyday, mostly for good, but occasionally for ill. I am on the laptop and/or desktop daily, and I couldn't do my job without a computer. I do carry my cell phone virtually everywhere everyday. But sometimes, you just have to shut it all down and remember how to interact with the real world.

Currently feeling: unplugged