Oh.
That’s right, don’t drink and drive. Check.
No texting while driving. Check.
No photography while driving. Check.
It’s a image blend, people. Chill.
Chill. This is something I’m unable to do ever since starting my media diet (more properly called electronic media diet as books, magazines, and newspapers are OK), the problem is I no longer get any newspapers or magazines cuz I read them on line. I get books from the library all the time but only a small percentage do I actually read because I’m usually reading on my computer.
I feel like one of those bees you see in September in New England—Sorta staggering around, hitting windows, falling to the floor, buzzing back up, staggering on.
The first rule was wait an hour after waking before going on the internet. So far, three mornings in a row I have been a whirlwind of activity: outfit swapping, garden watering and pruning, suitcase packing and unpacking. This is a far bigger problem than I even thought.
Starting on Monday, I’m going to check on emails twice a day only. Noon and at 8PM. I am going to read only from print. I am going to listen to the silence and hopefully not chew my nails completely to the nub.
I had no idea-none-that it had so hijacked my day and nights.
Buzzz. Whack. Buzz…Buzzzz. For now, I sign off: staggering some where I don’t know where.
©Pat Coakley 2010
PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION
*Select photographs from this blog and my wider archive can be purchased at www.patcoakley.com
I understand.
Cousin, I don’t think you’ve got this addiction! Your techno-problems get in the way of developing dependence.
Man, is there any diet you won’t go on?
Seriously, that is so funny I don’t have an adequate laugh,Al.
too funny! i guess we will have to adapt to the electronic appendages. as a species that is. or maybe we should just shut off the electricity for a while and see what happens. however, it is good to see another signature driving photo and know that you live to tell the tale!
Kathi, I am not kidding. This has really infiltrated my way of taking in the world. I’m not sure eliminating everything for a period of time and then introducing it bit by bit wouldn’t be the best idea!
Pat, my computer was broken for over a month and it caused a kind of forced media diet for me. Add to that we don’t have cable and I was nearly totally disconnected from the world. It was great! I read more books in that month than I usually read in a six months. Also, I became really disconnected with the political bickering that goes on online and in my usual social circle. That felt really good. I no longer felt like I had to have a crushing political argument to cover every possible issue. Now that my computer is back I am trying to limit its use. I see it creeping back into my life in some ways.
The image of the September bee buzzing and staggering drunkenly around had me laughing! What to do… what to do… bzzz.
While I agree that the interwebs is a huge time-suck, I don’t know how to get off it like you are doing. Perhaps I need an intervention?
I’m cancelling my satellite tv and going tubeless. TV is dead.
… I don’t know how much real news I actually read on the computer, but it can’t be any worse than CNN or BBC … and they have websites if I change my mind.
This photo is terrifyingly like being sucked into the vortex of our favorite addictions: The WWW!
Like Carol, I think it lures me – even more than the TV – which I have no trouble by passing.
The web allows more personalized selection and so much more of it.
Don’t know where it spirals up next but like chocolate- it may be good for the heart but I’m sure that doesn’t mean it’s singularly become the new food pyramid.
Balance is the key. I’ve found it has helped me, but I don’t think I’d go that far. Beautiful photograph! I do read books in print (probaly won’t ever go ipad or kindle). I like reading print magazines. I also read ezines. I do stay away from the computer at times.