It Often Begins with Awareness
Last November our internet went down completely for two days. I was in the middle of an Amazon transaction when it happened. Email and text went and stayed down too. Century Link called the event an internetoutage. For me, it felt like the beginning of a withdrawal experience. It was a withdrawal experience!
What I realized over the next two days was that I hadn’t been in as much in control of my technology usage as I thought. It’s not that I was using it non-stop; the issue for me was that when I wanted to check something on-line like the weather or a notification that just came in, I wanted the option of checking it right now if I wanted to. Not that I would be on-line for very long, maybe just a few moments to look at the headline. I just wanted to be able to scratch that itch. Why this is has been researched and written about for several years now. My experience is not unique to me. There are physiological and neurological aspects behind our “need” to be connected. Read Irresistible by Adam Alter for insights.
I remember reading a story about a college class whose focus was on the psychological benefits of nature. The final activity was a four-day backpacking trip to a remote area. The students were allowed to take their cellphones along. What they were not told is that there would be no reception where they were going. They went through the standard stages of grief:
Denial- It’ll be back on in a few minutes…
Anger- lousy service provider…
Bargaining- Maybe by moving around a connection will be restored…
Depression- No posting Instagram pictures…
Acceptance- adjusting and adapting to the temporary circumstances…
Awareness often leads to change.
I like what John Muir (1838-1914) wrote:
Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.
Thanks for Reading, and Happy New Year!
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
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