Giving up my SmartPhone, Two Weeks on

Here's a huge reason why I gave up my Smartphone two weeks ago:

I see this.  Everywhere.
  • You're not at the event, you're watching it through your phone's viewfinder.
  • You're not interacting, you're looking at the palm of your hand.  It's quickly becoming normal to be 'social' while talking over or around a screen with 10% of your brain.
  • You're not thinking, you're regurgitating what you can find on Youtube, Imdb, Google, or Siri.  While this information may be instantly correct, it obviates the need for you.  
  • You're not driving, you're looking for the next point where you can zone out (straight stretch of road, stop sign, line at the drive-thru) so you can carry on whatever triviality you just hit on FB, Instragram, SMS, or whatever.
So, I took a step off the running train.  Blowback has been both expected and encountered:
  • "What is that?  A Crackberry?"
  • "You did WHAT?"
  • "What?  Couldn't afford a real phone?"
But, on the whole, here's the only comment that counts:  "Glad to have you back."

Glad to be back.  I've read more in the last 2 weeks than probably the last 3 years, finally finishing Coders at Work, currently tackling both Stephenson's Cryptonomicon and Putnam's Bowling Alone.  I've been working more in and around the house, and I've just been there. 

It's not all been great.  I like listening to music (especially podcasts) while I work, and I've not sorted that out fully.  My new phone does have .mp3 capabilities, but it requires a microSD card I haven't purchased yet.  That's intentional.   Detox means me not strutting around the house with earbuds plugged-in ignoring everything around me. 

I've really not missed being wired to twitter 20 hours a day.  Distance helps one gain perspective; that's really the overall theme.  If you never unplug (and in a way, I haven't since I was about 10 years old), then you never grow.

I know, I know...this is just another of 100 "epiphanies" you can read if you follow this blog back to its beginning.   We'll see if it sticks, or if I find something else with which I can ignore my primary relationships.

For two weeks, though, it's been sweet.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Southeast Christian Church Easter Pageant

Easter Pageant?! What is this, amateur hour? Who cares about some piddly church passion play? What's next, "Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever"? How's this for Piddly: Two professional composers, a 9000 seat auditorium, 75,000 tickets over a month-long run, a 300 person chorous, two IMAX-size video screens. Traditionally, Southeast's Easter Pageant has been the biggest theatrical production in Louisville. They took a year off to retool and rework it, comissioning a rework from the ground up. Whereas the previous iteration had been a "cast of thousands" broadway-style production, they wanted something...different. Hoo-boy, it was different. Let's talk about "theatre" that is 1/2 movie, 1/2 live action. Apparently, they shot it at a quarry during last year's drought, and it looks pretty good. Still, I didn't like it...distracting and interrupts the flow. Likes It's not the same program they've put on for...
Read more

Rant On getting smacked down...

Image
So, you live in an organization for 10 years, and you acquire a certain rep. A reputation as a maverick, a guy who's not too wrapped-up in procedure, kowtow'ing, and career. You've said some things in meetings that were career-limiting, but damn it, they were the RIGHT THINGS. Sure, you broke into someones computer once to get their hard drive so you could deliver the code she REFUSED TO CHECK IN before going on vacation. Sure, you telnet'd in to a running test server to see if your hack worked and could save everyone working the weekend (it didn't, you hosed the test run, and you worked round the clock that weekend). Sure, you've slapped your head at stupidity (both in others and your own), and welcome anyone who'll do the same. However, 10 years, several promotions, two kids, a mortgage, and a car payment tend to make you forget who you are. For one sparkling moment this morning, you remembered. You asked an innocent email question last night to a te...
Read more

"Spiderman 3"...WHY?!

Spiderman 3 is a boring mess. The story is a mishmash of plotlines, centering around the three (yes, THREE) villains -- Goblin Jr., Sandman, and Venom. Overlong, the film languishes in its many plots, opening with Spidey wounding his friend Harry Osborne, now the reborn Green Goblin, then sauntering to the Sandman, and the Venom super-spidey suit. There's no discernible momentum until Mary Jane calls it quits with Peter, who's been quite an ass, though she herself has been a needy baggage for 4 reels. In any case, this sets off a battle between Harry and Peter, and FINALLY some action. Had the movie begun here and run for a tight 85 minutes, cutting out the Sandman character altogether, it would've been awesome. As it stands, this bloated ($300 million) mess has probably killed its franchise. * * * Also, I need to remind myself that I get sick if I eat too much popcorn.
Read more