I am still assimilating back into my plugged-in life. We went up north to visit my mom and step dad for the long weekend. BOY & GIRL were SO wired! GIRL packed her backpack at least four weeks ago in anticipation of the trip. And on Friday, upon learning that we were indeed going to drive up to Ma'Mai's on Saturday, BOY said this...
OH, I'M SOOOO EXCITED, I'M GOING TO CRY WITH HAPPINESS!!!
We began Saturday with GIRL's ballet recital. The theme was The Wizard of Oz and all of the little girls were dressed as Dorothy. GIRL wore a darling white dress, and a blue and white checked apron made by my friend. Then there were ... pig tails with pink bows. Cute doesn't even begin to describe how adorable she looked. She carried a small basket with a tiny Toto peeking out. The basket was lined with the same blue & white fabric as the apron. GIRL has a comfort level onstage that intrigues me. Not hammy or showy, but a steadiness that will be interesting to follow.
I was offline for 3 whole days and nights. That actually sounds like a pathetic headline. SHE WAS OFFLINE FOR 3 DAYS AND NIGHTS!!! Pathetic? Perhaps. Vital to my being? Without a doubt. Why...I...I......I've even begun to read a book!
No lap top. No cell phone. No television. It felt decadent and delicious... I took two long walks through the misty forest with my mother. A feast for the eyes of bright green lichen hanging from stark white trees covered in dark green moss. A fairy land. Nourishing. It felt good to move the long dormant muscles buried deep within my legs.
I played in the pool with my children. And, I watched them come down the water slide, alone this time. Their small bodies churning through the water - swimming to me, and away from me. My shoulders got sunburned.
I felt very deadend before I left. Always buzzing with an electronic connection of some kind. Hard to turn it off. My lap top. My cell phone. And now, touching down on the blog page feels rusty and a bit foreign. As if I am slogging through water with a thickness and weight I don't recognize. I can feel myself on the verge of a big shift. I'm not sure yet what it will be. But, it is coming...
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Picture courtesy of Google Images. Because...JCK did not have her camera. Apparently...
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It is a bit frightening, isn't it? How dependent we are on THINGS. I told Jim that I want to leave our computer at home, while we are away, but he said we might need it for Dylan to watch movies on the way down. I really want to leave it home - just to see what a week without it feels like. Glad you were able to get away and regroup.z
ReplyDeleteIt is SO healthy to unplug now and then.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to unplug on weekends...easier said than done!
Funny, but time away has enriched your writing in the same way it enriched your family time. This is a beautifully written piece.
ReplyDeleteI take every weekend off from blogging and do not carry a cell phone. That way, my time with my family is truly present time.
It feels different, doesn't it? It does to me, and honestly, I love it.
Welcome back, J.
- Julia at Midwest Moms
Last night after the kids were in bed, I sat down and thought "nothing good on tv, I spent too much time online, and I don't have a good book." I need to find something. I'm rusty too. Glad you recharged.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little nervous because I will be off blog, off internet, off cell phones, etc. in another week. Cold Turkey.
ReplyDeleteI feel myself developing a twitch.
Congrats to you for making it for 3 days! Glad you enjoyed your getaway.
'big shift'???
ReplyDeletethe symptoms sound like its going to be a HUGE shift!(If I was in your shoes)
I think being disconnected is a beautiful thing. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to being without the computer for a full week. (Sometimes not having a laptop is freeing.)
ReplyDeleteBut I have missed blogging this last month, all our activities plus being bogged down in the crack-on-acid social decadence cesspool that is Facebook. Blogging is more centering somehow.
...please where can I buy a unicorn?
ReplyDelete