Summer of 7 is trucking a long. We continue to fast for 7 days from different areas of excess. This past week, we eliminated spending. Literally, we did not spend money.
(Okay, I made a teensy minor exception to get bread at the Farmer’s Market since they are only open on Saturday.)
It was harder than I expected and it made me realize how dependent my time, travel, and social life are reliant upon money. I was forced to entertain my kids for free without any fast food or Target junk. I had to tell a girlfriend we couldn’t go OUT for lunch, so we stayed in and were much more comfortable. I made all our meals from the pantry, and only had to borrow a little celery and two trash bags from my mom.
All in all, it wasn’t so bad. I’m thinking maybe having a week of no spending might be a good monthly activity to force us NOT to go to the limits of our budget.
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But now it is the fateful time. Time for the one I dread.
NO MEDIA WEEK.
Here is why I don’t want to do no media week.
I love Facebook.
I love my blog and the comments where you tell me that I am awesome. (We’ve established my vanity problem, so now I’m just talking openly, right?)
I love e-mail, zipping off a quick message that will get a virtually immediate response.
I love the iPhone our friends gave us, which we installed our pre-paid SIM cards into, resulting in 10 cents a minute talking and free WI-FI gloriousness. Finally, a smart phone that is actually FINANCIALLY smart. (But for the ensuing addiction, I call our friends the iDevils.)
I love Words with Friends.
I semi-love Twitter. (When famous people like Jen Hatmaker momentarily know I exist.)
I partially love Pinterest, the wondrous peaks of inspiration and the desperate valleys of envy.
I love Netflix, just popping in a few numbers and voila!–the BBC comin’ atcha live.
I love iTunes, making dinner and listening to Catching Fire.
I love Pandora. (Abba is the best cleaning channel.)
I love recording my kids singing on the Flip camera, posting it to YouTube and sending it all over cyberspace.
I love Bible Gateway and it’s ability to dash me quickly around the Bible, searching for verses, words, and phrases in one little click.
I love reading books online for free.
I love printing coupons.
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But I don’t love that I never have time to read real books.
I don’t love hearing my kids wail, “Mommy’s STUCK ON THE COMPUTER–AGAIN!!”
I don’t love when I literally feel myself unable to avoid the corner of my house where the computer is. I physically crave it.
I don’t love that, though I have a novel and a Bible sitting literally on the tip of my brain, I have written hardly a word of either because the second my fingers touch the keys, vortex like, I am swallowed whole by the INTERNET.
I don’t love being addicted to this life of clicks, and ticks, and affirmation and searching, searching, searching.
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So for the next 6 days–possibly 7 if I can force myself–I am going back to 1992, twenty years ago when I used to lay on the cool bare wood floor of my parents home wrapped in the cord of the phone, talking my 14 year old brains out to my friends. (To my horror, my 7 year old daughter asked me what a phone cord was the other day.)
No internet.
No Netflix.
No iPhone.
No Facebook.
No iTunes.
No, wait, DVDs??? CDs??? I cannot remember, did we have those things?
No, E-MAIL! NO E-MAIL!!
We will be on vacation in the mountains, so that will provide some accountability. My kids and hubby are not exactly participating with me, but may be peripherally drug into my 1992 world. The exception to 1992 will be that, some friends are joining us for the second part of our trip so I might have to be normal and communicate with them by e-mail or text to square away those details, but other than that, PEACE OUT!
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Wait, that was supposed to be the end of the post, but . . .
I just had the craziest realization as I typed “PEACE OUT.”
Maybe being “out” of the “inter-NET” will bring me some peace. Maybe freeing myself from the web, the net, the SNARE, the TRAP, I will be not feel so entwined, entangled, and restless. Will I have peace–or just discontentment?
There is that bit that Jesus said right before he left
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
I’m linking up this post with the Summer of 7: Media Blog Hop. Even if you don’t participate in Summer of 7, you can read more of our crazy exploits by clicking on the thumbnails below or joining our Facebook Group.
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Also, teensy weensiest favor. Wouldn’t it be fun if when I got back from my vacation in 1992, The Poorganic Life Facebook Page was up to 900 followers? Or if subscribers were up to 400? (Answer: it would!) So, I’d love you to become a follower if you aren’t, or invite a friend to follow. Send them a link to your favorite post and tell them what a RAD time we have talking about food, faith, and all things poorganic. 🙂
I know that this is not at all the purpose of your post, but
can I just say my 1992 self is jealous of your 1992 hair? The wave in the top picture and mall bangs (yet not too stiffly rolled) in the second….I do, I covet them.
kim recently posted…Do they make a pill for this?
HAHAHAHAHA! You would not have coveted my insecurity or those braces. Or forgetting it was school picture day and wearing a ponytail. OH THE DEVASTATION!!
My 1992 self is jealous of the perfectly matched scrunchy. HA
Amy recently posted…Together for Our Good
I have to admit, I didn’t notice the scrunchy until the second glance!
kim recently posted…Do they make a pill for this?
I haven’t figured out whether you’ll get this or not but GOOD LUCK!
Amy recently posted…Together for Our Good
I can so relate. I went to check Facebook “real quick” this afternoon before writing a blog post. Almost two hours later the kids’ quiet time was over and no blog post. I HAVE to get better about this.
Alison recently posted…Who cares about the earth anyway?
SO much to love about this post but my fave was the spot-on way you described Pinterest.
Love reading your writing, so go write that novel, would ya?
Best of luck – I am too big of a chicken to give up media yet 🙂
xox
renee in minneapolis
YOU. ARE. AWESOME. Just wanted to give you one tiny little affirmation before you disconnect.
If you are reading this before the end of your 7 days, you are a CHEATER CHEATER PUMPKIN EATER. 🙂 Good job sis, well written and on point. Love reading your blog.