Last week, I did a little traveling with my family. We went to several places we used to live. We made a week of it. Where I went is unimportant. It became more about why.
I spend a lot of time writing. I’m on the Web a lot. I write everything from blogs to TV to radio to print and some things that defy a category. I wrote nothing for seven days (beyond responding to more than a few emails from work, from which I will never escape – most of which were “Yes.” “Looks good.” And “Thank you.”). For the first time in many years, I didn’t write about what I did and saw. I just did it and saw it. I experienced things beyond work and responding to work. I didn’t look at everything as a story to write. I’m sure I will write about some of the adventures later (the story of two amorous chimps at a zoo will likely end up on this site). But last week, I did not write anything. I saw the news rarely. I only used my Droid to try to ignore emails – difficult when that green light is blinking all the time and you know there’s either junk to be erased instantly or attended to immediately, or eventually. I used it to check the weather and as a GPS. Basically I was as unplugged as I can get and still be conscious.
It was a good feeling.
Looking back, it makes me wonder, do I need Facebook? Do I need LinkedIn? Do I need Twitter? Do I need to write blogs? Do I need to work 12 hours a day? Do I need to carry this squawking Droid on my hip 24-7? Perhaps not.
Even so, I will go back to all of those things on Monday. And I will lose a little of myself with each one of them.
