Chapter 47: Live life the real way! [+video]

Look Up: A spoken word film for an online generation

[written, performed, & directed by Gary Turk]

• "I have 422 friends, yet I'm lonely. I speak to all of them every day, yet none of them really know me."
• "This media that we call social is anything but—when we open our computers & it's our doors we shut."
• "So when you're in public & you start to feel alone, put your hands behind your head—step away from the phone... just talk to one another. Learn to coexist."
• "We're a generation of idiots. Smartphones & dumb people."
• "So look up from your phone. Shut down your display. Take in your surroundings, make the most of today."
• "We have a finite existence—a set number of days. Don't waste your life getting caught in the net, 'cause when the end comes nothing's worse than regret."
• "Give people your love. Don't give them your 'like'."

Above I've listed some of my favorite lines from the 4 minute video that I've posted below. We've all seen at least one video or article about the subject of not letting technology take over your life. Out of all the videos I've seen & articles I've read, this one moved me the most. It's the most powerful stance for living life in the "real world" that I've seen thus far. These types of videos explain why my husband & I have a ban on cell phone use while we're out & about with each other. I'll get into that later on in this blog... Sure, I'm all about documenting moments. I love freezing time & capturing memories through writing, photography, & videography. I do it because I know they'll help my family & me remember those little details of life that we'll surely forget with age in due time. They're also nice to look back on, especially when you're missing someone because of work separation or death. I Facebook, I Instagram, I blog, I write—I share a lot about my life. I share my experiences online & I share them in my personal journals & scrapbooks. I share because I'm happy. I share because there needs to be more positive energy put out into the universe than negative energy. I share because I feel like love is a beautiful thing that should be shared. I share because I hope to help others & somehow make a difference in people's lives. I share because you never know who you could be inspiring. I share because I love life.

However, I'm also all about living in the moment & not letting yourself get distracted by all of the cool gadgets & gizmos of plenty that we own. Technology has proven to be a wonderful thing, don't get me wrong. The problem is that most people abuse technology by giving it too much of their attention. Technology is meant to help us, not hurt us. We're abusing it if we let it create problems between our relationships with others & with our connection to the universe. It's hurting us if it's stopping us from being productive. Yes, it's a hard balancing act sometimes. That probably explains why every once in a while I take an "internet hiatus" to keep myself in check. Sometimes the hiatuses just happen, while other times I make a conscious decision to take one because I know that I need it. Whenever I take a break from the internet, Billy Joel's song lyric, "Take your phone off the hook & disappear for a while" always comes to mind.

Videos like these probably also explain why I'm so adamant about keep snail mail alive. It's just much more personal than a text message or Facebook comment, or what have you. Yes, it takes much longer to write & mail off a letter than it does to type something on your phone or computer, but isn't that the point? Doesn't it feel good to know that someone took that extra bit of time out of their day to handwrite you a letter, letting you know that you're thought of? It's a nice thing to do every once in a while & it's definitely a nice thing to receive. Let me reiterate that I'm not saying to cut out technology completely. There just needs to be a healthy balance. I practically live off of technology when my husband is deployed or underway. I love being able to email him daily & Skype him while he's in port. I can't imagine how difficult it was to be a military couple during WWI & WWII when snail mail was the only method of communication.

Anyway, now I'm just rambling about snail mail, & that's not what this is about.... this is about making the decision to connect with people in the real world more than in the cyber world. At times I have to remind myself not to get too caught up in "documenting" moments that I end up missing some moments. That's a big reason why my husband & I made a big shift in our marriage when it comes to our date nights & technology. I've been guilty in the past of scrolling through my newsfeed or posting on Facebook a little too much for my husband's liking. My husband has been guilty of playing games on his phone a little too much for my liking. A couple years ago, a friend told me that her & her husband have a rule to not use their phones at all during date nights. I told my husband about this & he thought it was a great idea. It's such a simple solution. Why didn't we think of that? So, we talked about it & made a compromise. We can use our phones when we're looking up directions or under special circumstances. For example, being the "documenter" that I am, I'm allowed to take photos, but I have to wait to edit them or post anything online until later. If I post about a date of ours in "real time" it's because my husband & I have talked about it first, & I asked if it was ok. We are grounded in the present & give each other our full attention, whether it's date night or just a trip to the commissary to pick up some groceries. If we're outside of our home, then the cell phone ban is in effect. Our quality husband & wife time is truly quality time, without the distractions of technology. 

I hope you're all able to take something away from watching this video & reading this blog post. Don't let technology & social media rob you from experiencing the true joys of life. 

[Photo credit: http://loudontheweb.com/]