Get a life

OK, you're probably just as addicted to your computer screen as I am - perhaps more, or maybe a bit less. Being online at home and work means there's a constant temptation to "just sit there", never do much more of anything in the real world than what is absolutely necessary.

Yesterday Compl33t posted "Why not go mobile?" - which I thought was rather brilliant. Not just because it's Desktop vs Laptop, but because it's a reminder that life is more than cyberspace. And when you're away from your computer, you should Leave It Be. Don't be thinking what you'll do next online, or how you're gonna blog what just happened (a common illness among bloggers - you KNOW it's true!), or whether you have another 20 emails waiting for your attention. Just live, dammit.

I've often been moaned at that my cellphone is seldom on, that I get messages a week after they've sent (usually by family members who somehow forgot I have a land line). Truth is, sometimes I like to be unreacheable. Sometimes I don't want electronics begging my attention or beeping in my ear. If I'm away from a phone, I want to be Away From A Phone.

Same thing with the computer - though I have to admit it's an ongoing struggle. There's really no need to plug in all the time. The world won't end if you switch it off for a couple of days, and you're not going to lose all your friends if you don't get back to them immediately. Nor will your blog die a quick death if there isn't an update every day.

I'm glad for that bit of a reminder - life is to be lived, not virtually but dive-in hands-on real. A meal savoured is far better than recipes online. A long chat face-to-face connects more than all the IM in the world. Time spent in person, time saved up and planned to give to another, is better than blogging in your PJ's.

How bout it? Wanna see if there's still a world out there? Unplug and get outdoors without your electronic gadgets, communicators, wireless?