There is something to be said for turning off electronics
and disconnecting. I do not practice this often enough; I realize that I
probably should. Currently I am participating in a music festival in Central
Oregon, and I have difficulty making Internet and cell phone connections. Although there
have been times when this seemed like a terrible thing, I have found that
there are some gifts that can come from it.
For example, my life is a lot quieter and simpler. I do not
have to deal with email or text messages very often, because so few of them get
through or go out. I do not have messages flashing across the screens of my
various electronic devices, so I am not distracted. I find that I concentrate a
bit more now that there is more room in my head to contemplate and focus on
what I am doing.
And is that not what a vacation should be like? I use the
word "vacation" quite loosely since I am actually working at this
music festival and quite hard, I might add. Because of the idyllic setting and
top quality level of the musicians at the festival, I sometimes forget that I
am working and think that I am vacationing as well.
I do turn on my electronic devices throughout the day, but I
sense that I have somehow cut the cord between us. I tell myself that this is a
good thing. I can practice contemplation, reflection, and quietness a little
easier because the silence has expanded.
The festival ends this week, and I will return home in time
to begin teaching the fall semester at the university and the studio. That is
several days away though, and I will think about that later. For now, I will
sit beside an open window, feel the breeze of the cool evening Oregon air, and
listen for the sound of distant coyotes.
I will turn everything back on at the end of the week. Have
a great week!
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