Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Unplugged

Yesterday our little town got disconnected. Cell phones, internet, everything... totally gone. For twelve hours

And you know what? It was awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad to have it back this morning. It's a little eerie to have zero communication with the outside world, you know? However, I just have to say that there is nothing quite like being disconnected for half a day to make you realize just how much you use the internet. The music Eli and I usually listen to is on the internet. I couldn't finish watching the General Women's Meeting. I lost service in the middle of working on things for my Etsy shop that I couldn't finish. No online shopping, which could have been a real pain considering how much we buy from Amazon when we live in such a small town. No facetiming with grandma. No calling or texting Dallin. No checking up on social media, which (if I'm being honest) I've been overdoing lately.

So what did I do all day, without all those options?

I cleaned our house. I read the Ensign. I spent more time playing with Eli than normal. I sat on the couch during the quiet of nap time and let myself be still, something I haven't done in a long time. I hadn't realized just how much uneccessary stuff fills our time and unnecessary noise clogs the air. Even good things should be done in moderation so they don't distract from the better and best things. I knew all those things were true, but I guess it took a complete disconnection to really drive it home.

We have family home evening at the ballpark last night. Dallin had a softball game so we went early to play around before it started. Dallin pitched to me for a while so I could see if I could hit, and Eli had so much fun playing catch and trying to pitch. The weather was just gorgeous, too!

It reminded me that the kinds of memories (like this one) that aren't built upon technology are the ones I want to pursue.