We were without internet for a few weeks this fall. On purpose, for several reasons. What is the most real way to say that? We lived without internet? Or we disconnected our service? I don’t know. Anyway, we did. And it was nice. We proved that one can live without internet. Isn’t that the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard me say? Of course, anyone can live without internet service!
It was rather quietening. We could still check our emails and Facebook and even google something on our phones … but it was much “slower”. Slower was nice. And more sane. It created room inside the brain for better processing. I really enjoyed the freedom of hearing myself think. It was comforting to rediscover this. I mean it was comforting to realize that the ability to “aspire to lead a quiet life” was still there. I only needed to give it room to be. I Thessalonians 4:11
With Brad gone for a few weeks to Nebraska the StoneHouse grounds and firewood work fell to Elv and I. Having the internet disabled helped. Isn’t that ridiculous? It was like finally having privacy and space and time to just be us. To do our own business. It was truly like having shut the door on a lot of noise and activity, walking away to a different place and opening another door to quiet and sanity.
But, Elv’s apple devices were falling behind on important updates and threatening to lose important things. I don’t understand really how that works but evidently Apple is inextricably dependent on something vital from the internet. Seriously?
So when it came back last week for Apple resuscitation and because I really should/want to blog … WordPress happens to be my main writing venue these days, I realized that I must be more disciplined about the use thereof in my life. Internet can be a profitable tool or I can find myself attached and used up in its clutches: staying tuned to notifications, reading, browsing, and listening to new music constantly. There went my brain-space for the real stuff of life! Too sad.
Maybe it wasn’t taking up all of our time and talents. We still did our work well, and my home-keeping was not behind, really. But, we had/have become too available and on call to too many voices from everywhere these days. Not having connection for a few weeks allowed me to see that the internet ramps up the volume on all those voices tremendously. Unless we can figure out how to control it.
There is a verse that should provide all the pause I need to keep the internet nicely rounded up and in proper perspective. Colossians 3:16 says, Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. I am afraid that we let google dwell in us, richly, far too much for wisdom and teaching and entertainment. I don’t even want to write that or admit that. It’s not okay!
Getting this duck in a row shows me the next one. I am aspiring to lead a quiet enough life that staying home doing my own business is my default mode with no guilt. How far will I get on that one? Do tell.
Stone House Scribblings 