Thursday, February 23, 2012

Balance

Is social media eating your time/life up? 


I know it's changing the shape of mine. I find myself wondering what I did pre-internet with all that extra time that's now spent on facebook, reading blogs, emails, online writers groups and pinteresting. 

Read? Tidy? Cook? Get on the phone and talk to real people?

I've been thinking about how 'present' I am for my family. I'm always wondering if there's a new (and brilliant) chapter to critique on scribophile. If the perfect image for a story (that'll totally re-invigorate the novel I'm working on), or that window I saw in a book 10 years ago and fell in love with - you know, the window, has turned up on Pinterest. If there's a new blog update that will change my world. If I have an email to tell me something... life-changing.

So I'm going to start with one day a week. With no internet. None. 


On Saturdays you won't be able to contact me via email or facebook or skype and I won't so much as glance at my blogroll to see what's changed. There will be no pinterest.  

I will be spending quality time with the family. 

When the Poppet poos on the floor and the dog tries to eat it up while I'm going for the disinfectant and cloths, when the Sprocket climbs out the window and starts dancing on the car, when the Poppet is head-butted or I'm elbowed (accidentally) in the throat (again)by careless toddler climbing, I won't reach for pinterest and a lovely soothing image of a dew-soaked, sun-soaked dandelion, or a 2000 year old underwater stone lion. 

I'll just get on with it all. 

I'm not sure how I'll deal. 


Hopefully, it'll be better for all of us. The house might get clean. And we should spend happy-sunny-bonding time and make lots of memories. (That don't involve mummy checking her iphone again as we go down the slide at the playground for the 50 zillionth time)

And hey, there's always wine. 

I have of course chosen the easiest day of the week. The one with the gym and the beach and my beloved at home. If it works well and I find we like the quiet-in-my head and the being-in-the-moment, real-life, as opposed to virtual-life I might aim for a weekday as well. Gulp. 

Anyone care to join me? I dare you! 

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