Monday, December 26, 2016

Stepping back

This morning while the coffee gurgled and aroma'd up the house, I stepped onto the back deck to get an analog weather report. It was warm enough to swim here yesterday, and this morning as I looked through the bare trees, I could see clouds advancing out of the Gulf. The wind out of the south blew acorns from the water oak, and they pinged the roof like summer hailstones.

The weatherman said last night it would be partly cloudy today, but I think mostly cloudy would have been closer to the truth.

When the coffeemaker beeped, I stepped back inside, poured two steaming cups of java, and headed to the great room. Jilda was still sleeping, but turning the Christmas tree lights on was enough to get her moving toward her coffee.

Under the coffee table were several magazines that came earlier in the month. I haven't had much time to read during the holidays so pulling one from the pile, I flipped to the index to see what they offered. It felt good reading stories that weren't about the current political climate or world events that make one cringe. 

One of the things under consideration for my goals this coming year, is to take a step back from the connected world.  

I've found that news before coffee has a tendency to hijack my day and start me off down the wrong path and that bothers me. 

The idea behind modern technology is to make one's life better –  tools that help you be more productive and informed. 

When it begins to affect you morning mindset, it could start affecting your wellbeing, and that's not a price I'm willing to pay for convenience. So for me, stepping back a little at this point in my life seems like a good thing to do.

What are your thoughts on technology?



12 comments:

  1. Yes on stepping back and seeing the world around through your own eyes, of listening to loved ones and not the news, of reading something that is not hyped up news. Hope you are feeling better every day. Hugs.
    Joy

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  2. Too much news, and too many opinions...I am desperately trying to avoid the overload.

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  3. I refuse to spend all of my time connected. I feel that it damages other and more important connections.
    Yay for stepping back, and sometimes away.
    Technology is wonderful - in moderation.

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  4. Stepping back is good. Most of my reading is done on line though, so rather than reading the morning news first, I take time to read several on line devotions each morning. I used to subscribe to magazines and buy a lot of books, but in my money saving ventures..I found a lot of what I like on line. Maybe not the whole content but many worthwhile articles any way.

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  5. when you mentioned 'analog', my mind too a trip. The USAF once sent me to school. The school was 9 months on the latest Analog computer Burroughs has designed. One month into the school it was redesigned, new books, new teachers. ANALOG IS OUT! You will be schooled on the new Digital (Binary and Bi-quinary)system. That was in 1958. Change was fast even then, I was in the field 6months, then back to school, leaving tubes going transistors.
    NOW? I don't see how repairmen and technicians keep up with mechanics, toy makers, phones,etc (EVERYTHING) dependent on MINI-technology.
    News? We are fortunate, my hearing loss put a stop to TV for me and Sherry followed suit. We get too much 'NEWS' HERE on the internet, speaking of which (..... another long one sided conversation on that!).... Yeah I like the analog weather report!

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  6. I agree with you about the news overload. There are times I simply stop watching. And I so love to know what is going on in the world. I just wish for some good news once in a while.

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  7. Technology is both good and bad. It had helped us in so many ways like, right now, I am speaking to you through the written word on a blog. The bad is how many text and drive, pay less attention to family and more to the phone. We forget to put the stuff down and just talk. At work it helps so much unless there is a power outage....then we are stuck. Funny how it all works

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  8. I try not to read news or turn on the tv until Ive had my coffee. I admit, I spend way to much time with my iphone and Ipad to my nose.
    Lisa

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  9. A year later, I'm still enjoying the 'cone of silence' during my morning commute. Reluctantly, I've tried curbing my addiction to Facebook ... well, at least those sensationalist stories that suck me in and raise my blood pressure. (Didn't we used to call that 'yellow journalism'?)

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  10. I can go without turning on the news but my husband can't. I love a quiet morning coffee without the news. I find that they repeat the news over and over and it drives me nuts. Technology is moving way too fast for this old girl.
    Hugs,
    Julia

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  11. Technology is great, couldn't blog without technology, or watch the news, or drive a car, just look at all we have not just what I mentioned above but thing of the vaccines and surgery advances we have now all in all it is good.

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  12. Anonymous3:24 PM

    We want something that works, & what we get is technology!!

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