(Working On A Title) Wednesday – Unplugging
Last week I told you guys about the wonderful land of Jamaica. This week let’s discuss…
Unplugging.
So before our trip I contacted our cell provider (Verizon) to find out about the service, or lack thereof, that would be availableto us while we were there. Well after that brief conversation it was decided, WiFi or nothing. I was then informed that WiFi may be unlikely. W. T. F? As a man who can spend 8 hrs in front of his computer without a bathroom break, this news was interesting to me to say the least. So I looked deep inside myself and said fuck it, we’re doing this. We’re unplugging. I threw this out on the old Facebook to see what I could let in (i.e. iPod, Kindle) and everyone was of the same belief that unplugging means no internet, everything else was okay. This was good news to me as I figured I could throw a couple movies on my phone and/or Kindle, I could tear through more of GoT Book 5 audio book, and even load a couple of games that I could play offline. Then I really started to think about this. I’m of the generation that has had the good fortune to know what life was like both before, and after, the World Wide Web. What I couldn’t remember was the last time I lived like it was still before.
I decided what bettet time then now to take a trip back in time. A time where landlines were king, when you had one phone number and if no one answered you didn’t get upset or assume the worst, you thought they were just outside. A time where you told family I’m leaving this day, coming back this day, here’s the number where we will be staying. Do NOT call unless it is an emegency. All the way up until we had to disable our phones for take off I was status updating, liking, tweeting and the like. Then I went dark. I did utilize the iPod on the flight but once we began our descent even that was put away until our departure. It was time to be ON VACATION. No interference from work, sports, or politics (we actually left two days before elections and had no idea what changes we might be coming back to). No status updating, tweeting, or instagramming. So what did we do? We read, actual physical books and magazines, played games, with phyisical cards, swam, and most of all relaxed,
It’s amazing the amount of physical and mental relaxation one can obtain without the nonsense of everyday life. Afterall, isn’t that what vacation is for? To forget your troubles, even for a brief moment? To appreciate all the things in life we claim we never have time for during our normal routines? I think so and that’s what we needed. It was AMAZING!! My first contact with the internet was about 30 hrs before our departure flight as I made sure we could connect to the resorts limited WiFi and check in to our flight when we could. Goddamn, I thought the world was coming to an end. The amount of updates, emails, notifications and the like that started coming through was pure insanity. But it also reminded me thay this was only temporary. Life does exist outside of this island paradise and unfortunately, we must soon be returning to it.
After returning home I quickly fell back into the old routine. Constant checking of Facebook, Twitter, and E-mail, managing my Fantasy Hockey team, spending hours playing WoW, SWTOR, and my beloved XBOne, and worst of all the daily stress of running the rat race, while chasing down that ultimate dream of retirement. Some people say unplugging is pointless, I say it’s necessary. At least for me. Every once in a while I need to step back, and tell everyone and everything to go fuck themselves and deal until I get back. I need to unwind, I need to stop the whirlwind of shit in my head and take a step back and remember to seize those amazing moments that seem to occur with less frequency the older I get. Some people can’t, some people need to stay connected to pretty much everyone and everything at all times. To each their own, I just hope they’re getting as much joy out of their short time on this blue marble as I am. Just remember folks…
That’ll do it for this week. As always any comments, questions, or concerns can be left below and you can follow me on Twitter @jekupka. Thanks for reading.