These past three internet-less days have been eye-opening. I can't say it enough times: "you don't know what you've got till it's gone!"
At first, I just kind of rotted. If I wanted to go somewhere for the day, I couldn't check the weather. If I wanted to bake something, I couldn't look a recipe up. If I had a song stuck in my head, I couldn't listen to it on Youtube. If I wanted pizza, I couldn't order online, or even look up domino's phone number. If I wanted to go to the library, I couldn't find the opening and closing times. Whenever I found something to do, I came to a roadblock.
Just then I realized how much time we spend on the computer, or in front of a screen. When I just moved here, my first observation was that the streets were lonely. Back east, the parks and sidewalks would be swarming with kids running, rollerblading, biking, scootering, skateboarding, you name it. Here, it's just emptiness. A car drives past. If you're lucky, a person might walk their dog by you. But meanwhile, they would be tapping away in front of their iTouches, or clicking buttons on their cell phones.
After the grim realization sank in, I reconnected with things I haven't seriously done in a long time. I laid in bed and read heaps of National Geographics. I sat in my backyard and painted a picture. I talked to friends face to face instead of over AIM, Facebook, or Gmail. It was almost... peaceful. Without a trillion things to do, we lose the need to rush. And when we don't rush, we start to actually breathe.
Although my internet's back (obviouslyyy), I'm determined not to let my lesson go to waste. Appreciate the internet for everything it lets us do, but don't use it as a substitute for really living life.
Zen by Liek
"they would be tapping away in front of their iTouches"
ReplyDeleteThat was meant for me, wasn't it? You will never understand the joys of a Touch unless you have one. Silly you.
And as for me, I've spent way too much time 'breathing'. I don't just want to live life, I want to EMBRACE life. Unfortunately, my other ways of 'embracing' are too fun for everyone else. Like when I want to go to the beach, everyone else would rather stay inside. When I want to do something spontaneous and fun like walking to Yogurtland or visiting Sierra Vista or biking to the mountains, or bowling, or going to Knotts or Disney or the science center, or surfing, or window shopping, or going to the movies, or just getting outside, it seems everyone else is just busy doing nothing. Literally, doing nothing. It's frustrating. So when nobody lets me do anything fun, I might as well embrace the internet again.
i feel offended..jk but itouches really? i think thats a me and gordo joke...D: lol but yea..i know what you mean...with the whole spend time away from comp...{and i have been :D...but WHERE ARE YOUU??? ive had like 2 sentences out og you today...D:<}
ReplyDeleteanyways...yea :)
calm down Tina, we're not 500 pound internet-creepers or something. We go out and do things and goto school and play with friends. Yes, the streets here are really empty, but have you ever been to a park? The parks are ALWAYS full. That's what makes Irvine so great: our parks. That's why ppl move here [well the #2 reason anyway, the first is schools]
ReplyDeleteand you're just angry caus you're the only one without an i-touch.
The internet has opened new doors in technology and society that were never possible before, so don't just shun it because you had an epiffany.
btw : breathing is a good thing, keep doing it, but not so extreme xD
- Mirik