Monday, December 08, 2014

Forced Deprivation

Have I told you about my IPad? I've had it for a little over a year (it was my dad's, actually, and I inherited it when he died). Today I left my IPad at the art teacher's house and didn't realize it until I was all the way home. Now here's what bothers me: 14 months ago I didn't even need an IPad. But today, when I realized I had left it 15 minutes from my house? Well, I don't think "panicked" is too strong a word to describe how I felt, if panicked means that feeling where you can't breathe right and one of your limbs seems to be missing.

My faithful companion
So! I have challenged myself to wait until Wednesday to retrieve my lovely little electronic friend. A little over 48 hours to wait, people, and I do not know if I will be able to do it. I will have to use our balky desktop computer if I need ANYTHING Internet-related. Weather reports, Amazon, Paperback Swap, Ravelry, EMAIL...and believe me, there is nothing efficient or pleasurable about sitting at the computer desk, drumming my fingers on the mouse and waiting for a graphics-heavy page to load. I'm telling you, it makes Morse code look efficient.

There will be no lounging on the couch in the evening, either, happily playing Words With Friends or scrolling through Facebook or Twitter. Heavens - I might actually have to pick up one of these library books I have lying around or catch up on the last 2 issues of The New Yorker. Or maybe I should just finish knitting those last few pairs of fingerless mitts I plan to give as Christmas gifts? This whole experience has the potential to be spiritually regenerative, I guess - a sort of finding my way back to all those things I loved before the blasted Internet became so easy to use. I mean, it's almost like I am going on a retreat, in the comfort of my very own home. That's good, right?

But I still miss that darn IPad.

[IPad image: Amazon]

7 comments:

  1. So easy to spend all my time on the laptop here on the sofa, right next to the stack of library books... The ease of technology is why I refuse to get a smartphone (okay, that and we're just plain cheap) or a tablet.
    You can make it!

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  2. Why Wednesday? Because Thursday is too long to wait? And she'll probably throw it away before that...

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    1. Now, I WAS thinking of waiting until Thursday afternoon...we'll see if I can hold out that long.

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  3. I finally let my iPad die and then challenged myself not to charge it for a week. It's been nearly two months, and I now use it as a stand to hold my cross-stitching pattern. It felt good to break myself of the 'addiction.' I'm working on weaning myself off of checking Facebook on my phone next. Texting, however, is a lost cause...

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  4. That doesn't sound fun at all.

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  5. Nope, not going there. I love my little Nook tablet, and what I actually spend the most time on with it is reading ebooks from the library. Browsing the library and checking out a new book without having to get up from my recliner--now that's what I call convenience!

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  6. Nothing like deprivation to bring us to our senses!

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