SUMMER’S NOT OVER YET.
At least this summer got off the ground, unlike last year, when the BC Interior was shrouded in smoke and thousands lived in fear that their homes would be consumed by fire.
There’s still time for a good technology detox for many of us.
I’m not usually one to preach about unplugging from the world of technology and social media, but I had a chance to do it earlier this summer.
It was forced on me, I’ll admit, and not something I would have chosen willingly.
But the family went for a beach vacation in the Caribbean, and keeping with my normal level of connection would have been inefficient and unaffordable.
It was, however, a revelation.
Lying on the beach, swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, touring Old Havana, I received zero texts and zero push notifications and was able to focus on what was present and in the moment.
There were no disasters in my personal or professional lives that would have been averted had I been more available.
It’s only in the past decade or so that the world expects to access you at all times.
We need to remember all those busy signals, all those answering machine messages and all those times when the phone rang and no one picked up.
The uncertainty!
When will I be able to get a hold of my loved one?
It was a part of life and it was just fine.
It’s not a bad idea to force yourself back into those days – at least for a week or two.
At the very least, simply turn your phone to airplane mode at the beginning of the day, leave it there throughout the day, and check your messages before bed.
Then do it again the next day.
It doesn’t take a Caribbean vacation to do it, and it doesn’t have to be your entire life.
But every once in a while, it’s important to force our attention back to our own lives and the people around us who matter the most.
We in the media will survive – and we’ll be here when you come back.
