Keep away

I remember when I was in my early twenties and was able to list at least two tv shows for each night that I would watch. Every night, except Saturday, but I watched that much tv because I loved it (and all the great series were on then, not like today). Even when nothing was on, I would flip through every channel repeatedly and if all else, just have it on in the background while I did stuff around the house.

I got rid of cable a few years ago and I couldn’t believe how much better things were. I would do things and only found myself watching a movie or Netflix for about an hour at night after work. It was refreshing, but I started relying on my computer to fill the mindless hours and before I knew it I was always on my computer. With school online, you can barely pry it out of my hands, or off my lap, its glued to me.

Yesterday, I backed up my computer and figured it would take ten minutes to do but when it stayed at 3% for 15 minutes, I knew I was in for the long haul. It ended up taking almost three hours, and in that three hours I got up and did stuff. Cleaned, organized, did laundry, wrote letters (I’m looking at you, Amanda), wrote birthday cards, made a delicious breakfast, and just kept busy and I have to admit I loved it. It was so nice not being glued to my computer. Not to be so dependent on it, or mindlessly staring at websites wasting half my day (or all of my day). I went the entire morning and half the afternoon without my computer, and when I came back to it to look up a couple things, I found myself getting sucked in again, unwilling to get up because I had to check one.more.thing. It has such a hold on me, its crazy.

With the next few weeks off from school, I’m hoping to really reduce my computer use and get out more. Go exploring, or actually pick up a book (or my kindle) and read. I haven’t wanted to read for a long time, and I want to enjoy that again. I gave up Facebook because I became addicted to it, I’ve scaled back on Twitter because I found myself checking it all the time, and Instagram will soon be following (though as bad as it is, that will take a little more effort).

I’ve known this for awhile but yesterday really showed how much I let my computer take over my life; even when school is out, I’ve become comfortable with it always on my lap and even feel a little lost without it. Weird, I know!

Here’s to a little more freedom.

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