So, last week I was on vacation and planned to be unplugged, unencumbered, in the moment.

It sort of worked.

I didn’t work (hardly any, anyway), didn’t blog (which doesn’t feel like work), didn’t Facebook (I looked up the week’s birthdays in advance and sent private wishes before I left town), didn’t email (unless absolutely necessary), left my computer and iPad and Kindle behind (had to have a phone to keep my mother and my son posted), and had a great time.

My biggest takeaway has to do with silencing my phone.  Since I keep my phone in my purse instead of on my person, I don’t know when I have a call, email, or text unless the volume is up.

For a week, I didn’t keep the sound up on my phone, which was incredibly empowering.  I know this seems selfish – information flow on my terms – but sometimes we all need a break.

My life will be more peaceful if I can continue this practice – in pockets at least – more often.  Of course, the view from Hurricane Ridge also helped boost the peaceful, appreciative, contemplative factor.  One of many such images, and I did need my phone to capture those!

 

If I actually cared about the Olympics, I might rant rather than complain.  Instead, it’s a big “Meh” for me.  I seldom tune in but sometimes can’t avoid it.

List of complaints:

Compressing a bunch of completed events into an inorganic, even airless, series of primetime sequences butting up against one another without any context is a snore.

Did I mention that everyone who cares at all about the outcomes tries to watch the events streaming (emphasis on tries) in real time, and most of the rest of us get the news alerts about big victories on our mobile devices whether we want them or not?

The personal stories packaged to try to make us care about the athletes are cookie cutter if not formulaic.

Can you say “jingoism”?

NBC hijacks all its cable networks to try to eek out every last cent possible during this mind-numbing glut of overhyped spectacle.

It’s all about the money.

P.S.  Getting the most medals ever in a sport that has so many possible opportunities for a win like comparing apples and oranges when some athletes compete in far few events.  Not to discount the accomplishment, but context is critical.