Category:

Me and My Smartphone

8/27/2014

A love/hate relationship, that’s what I have with my smartphone. I love that I can access a library of books and music wherever I go. I love certain apps from the convenient GPS to a metronome. I even favor the alarm clock feature. And there’s a certain level of security with a smartphone. If you get stuck, virtually anything is one call or swipe away.

I hate that I've come to carry my smartphone from the downstairs to the upstairs, room to room. When I realized that leaving the device behind made me apprehensive I decided to go dark for a few days. Yes that’s right, I turned it off and shoved it aside. You know what happened? I plugged into my writing better, met a deadline faster, etc., without multilevel distractions. I had clarity of mind, focus, and the environment held peace. Later in the day I acted kinder, with more patience. And I slept well without the bombardment of texts that I've known to continue to 1 AM. I remember the day when it was considered inappropriate to makes calls or visits after 9 PM. Does text etiquette exist? I wouldn't know.

Maybe this course of action wasn't such a good idea in its entirety, because I did happen to miss a few impromptu engagements. But, I don’t know, it seemed some detachment was needed.

Hello again, world! I've come back to you, to the crazy, hectic, and always a tap-call-or-buzz away by the power of a button. It’s me and my smartphone again. Together we love/hate. Although, I've since come to believe that absence truly does make the heart grow fonder…and healthier…and maybe I shouldn't depend on a device so much, or be at communication’s beck and call without a little therapeutic solitude now and again.

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5-Minute Vacations

2/23/2012

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"Photo: Brian Stansberry/Creative Commons"

The sky had an orange hue this morning. Low lying fog hugged the Smoky Mountains. In a lull between storm systems, a ray of sun broke through the ominous cloak of wispy clouds. While driving in my car, I zipped down the windows and met a strange mix of cool-warm air. I inhaled deeply.

A spirit of thankfulness came over me. “Thank you, God, for this fresh air!” Then I passed skunk road-kill that putrefied things a bit. Ah, such is life…it’s complicated. But that odor didn’t last long. Unpleasant things always pass. They always do. I waited it out, and sure enough I was embraced by fresh air once more. In that moment I could actually hear myself think—and all I wanted to do was thank God for that 5-minute vacation.

Prayers impart strength. Mini vacations, sanity.

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Me and My Smartphone

5-Minute Vacations

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Me and My Smartphone

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