Wednesday, April 18, 2012

can ya hear me now?!

I know..I've been a bad blogger...although you guys know me by now..I suppose you're used to it...and I have been in contact with most of you..but still..not cool..so...sorry..this post DOES have something to do with why I've been so quiet though...

I know it sounds ridiculous...especially being posted on a blog, which can't be written or read without the internet..but lately I just keep thinking about how I really want to disconnect from technology...I'm so tired of the ever present hum and glow!!

I just want peace & quiet and a life relatively free of all the unnecessary distractions and glitches and ridiculous garbage

more and more I find myself watching OLD tv shows and/or PBS because tv has gotten so ridiculous..do we REALLY need SOMETHING to entertain (distract) us every smurfin' moment?! I can't even stand the food network anymore because all the shows have this obnoxious music that is sometimes so distracting I can't hear or pay attention to what the host is saying...when Julia Child was rushing to get a souffle whipped up did she need urgent sounding music playing to wind up her audience??

and what's with all the advertising?? I thought it was bad enough when networks started having giant logos in the corner at all times...but now they have HUGE animated reminders of season premiers or just whatever show is coming on next..dancing across the whole bottom half of the screen (which is REALLY fun when you're watching something with subtitles!!)

and NOT only that...but NOW they actually have advertisements on the screen during some shows..like they don't get enough advertising time in during the commercial breaks..NOW they hafta have pop-up ads on TV?!?! ...literally while a show is on..a pop-up ad for a law firm or car insurance will appear on the screen..what the...seriously?!

and for all the advances in technology we sure have reduced ourselves to putting up with a lot of annoying glitches...if the cable isn't pixilating or the satellite isn't going out because a cloud dared pass by..the netflix is acting up!!

and phones..ugh! ...it's no longer cost effective to just replace the battery on your cordless phone..ya hafta buy a whole new one now...and all the phones are so damn small and uncomfortable it's impossible to carry out any sort of household chore while gabbing with a friend!!

used to be I would get all my dishes done, laundry sorted, folded etc. while on the phone...we'd keep each other company solving all the world's problems while bangin' out all our more boring chores...now if you try to do dishes while talking on the phone you're lucky if the stupid thing doesn't slip off your shoulder into the soapy water...and the crick in your neck..forget it!!

I keep hearing all this stuff about the shit hitting the fan..and as unprepared as I am for such a thing..most of the time all I can think is BRING IT ON!! ...seriously..it's enough already with the constant CONSTANTNESS of everything!!

once upon a time, families ate meals together..actual home cooked meals made from wholesome, NATURAL ingredients (ahh..that's a rant for another post) ...they had conversations, read books, played games (together) that didn't require electricity or cause carpel tunnel syndrome! people had hobbies..and they socialized..WITHOUT the assistance of a social NETWORK!

the phone didn't ring between 9pm and 9am unless there was an emergency!

tv stations signed off after a certain hour..and that was ok..because THAT is when you're supposed to be RESTING YOUR MIND!!

if you needed something on a Sunday..you were SOL!

children looked healthy...they actually saw the sun and played outside..sure sometimes they got a skinned knee or a broken arm..but it beats the crap out of them getting diabetes and heart disease!!

if someone got a hole in their jeans they didn't run out to buy a new pair..they patched it up! ...if their radio, tv..or hell even their telephone went on the fritz..they repaired it..or found someone who could...these things weren't just thrown out until ALL possible ideas for fixing them were exhausted!

people took the time they had to sit in a waiting room to do things like balance their check book, read a magazine..mull over thoughts and ideas..figure out what to make for dinner...or heck even 'bond' with their fellow 'waiters' by striking up conversations...not anymore! ...now we have to check fb for the umpteenth time..or play 'angry birds'..or 'draw something'..AGAIN!

and don't even get me started on abbreviations/text slang/substituting numbers for words, etc.

I dunno..it seems to me like all these things that are supposedly designed to make our lives better are just pulling us apart as families and as a society, making us more and more wasteful and IMPATIENT...people are irritable and they don't even realize it's because of all the constant stimulation competing for our attention and the lack of actual human contact..we THINK because we're in more constant communication that we're better connected..but we're not! ...so much of what we see, say and do has so little real thought or care that it's meaningless..it's WORSE than meaningless...

we're all aware on some level (even those who are guilty themselves) of the mindfulness of others..of how much thought and consideration is going into our interactions with others..and we've gotten used to accepting and probably even think we're satisfied with the bare minimum...

call me crazy..but I'm NOT content with apathy..I don't want to 'grow' to be satisfied with the bare minimum from people...or gadgets...I want to be enriched by my relationships and my activities!

also..it just seems wrong for us all to be in this constant ON mode...I can't speak for anyone else..but I'm just so tired of the incessant buzzing and beeping and running! ...where is the DOWN time??

people want more and more mobile devices because they're always on the go..but WHY?!

and WHAT is going on that's so important that we have to be connected at ALL times!!

do we HAVE to share every little thought that pops into our heads? ...MUST we be kept abreast of the minutiae of everyone's lives..moment by moment?

are our own thoughts THAT hard to live with that we must constantly be distracted from them with gadgets and animations and music?

does EVERYTHING have to be faster and brighter and better than the next guy's?

have we learned NOTHING from the financial events of the last several years?

I'm reminded of a quote I often see..which is: "be the change you wish to see in the world" (Gandhi is usually credited with this..but I'm pretty sure those were not his actual words) ...still..decent words to live by nonetheless...

so..what changes do I wish for?

I wish that more people wanted to live more simply...slow down and take time to recognize and appreciate what's important..for themselves and their community as a whole...

I wish people would try to be more cognizant of what they are putting into their bodies..AND what they are putting out into the world..the examples they're setting

I wish people were more interested in learning and carrying on the traditions and skills of their grandparents/great-grandparents, etc.

I wish people were more interested in the QUALITY of the time they spend..and less interested in the speed at which they race through each thing they do

I wish people were less concerned with having MORE stuff they don't need...and more concerned with filling their time with people, things and activities that enrich their lives!

I'm NOT saying we should all quit our jobs, disconnect from technology and live on a commune somewhere..milking cows, canning preserves and sewing our own clothes, etc. (as awesome as that sounds to ME) ...we all have to do what's right for US!

I just wish people's priorities were different...and that we would all spend more time focusing on the things that are truly important...no matter who you are..where you live..what you do...it always comes back to the SIMPLE things..they are what center us and truly enrich our lives...

anyway..these are the changes I wish..for me and for the world...which is why I long for a more low-tech existence...the way things are is exhausting to me..and interfering with my ability to focus on the things that matter most...

but..as awesome and peaceful as it sounds..I doubt brandiland is going off the grid any time in the near future...besides..without the internet..WHO would see me being the change I wish to see?!

and so..my quest to figure out how to strike a balance, continues...

15 comments:

  1. I was going to finish reading this, but I had to finish level 16 on Angry Birds. Sorry.

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  2. You should get a bluetooth headset, then you can talk all the time without worrying about how big your phone is, ha ha.

    I'm with you on TV being annoying but that's why I DVR everything and skip ads.

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    1. I was talking about my house phone...I don't get good enough cell reception at my house to use my cell for anything but texting..as far as I know there's no decent headset for regular cordless phones (I've looked and looked) but even if I found one..it wouldn't be wireless..I'd still have to have some way to hold the phone
      and I DVR everything too..I almost never watch 'live' tv...that doesn't stop the annoying, obtrusive 'background' music IN the shows..and advertisements that come across the screen DURING shows!!

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    2. On one hand I totally get what you're saying. I love the one week a year that we go north to a cottage and there is no cell reception AT ALL!! But that's mainly cause hubby is constantly being hounded by work on his Blackberry. It irritates the hell out of me that he has to be available 24/7 yet only gets paid for a 40 hour work week. (actually 35 b/c of lunch).

      Flip side of that is I recently upgraded to a smartphone - not cause I needed one, I just love gadgets!! And now that I have it, I love it. Love being able check facebook (I know!!), e-mail and search Google when needed.

      Plus Angry Birds Space is fantastic!!! ;-)

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    3. I've never played angry birds...my mother in law had to show me what it even was..I wasn't impressed hehehe

      we've thought about upgrading to smartphones..I HATE the touch screen crap..I want a real friggin' keypad - the phone I have is PERFECT for me..the way it flips open it's like a tiny laptop..but it has seen better days...I've done so much texting on it I've cracked the space key in half hahaha

      anyway..I don't want a phone that will make wasting time even more easy and convenient...I wish I could get something that was strictly for texting..I can literally count on one hand the number of minutes I've actually TALKED on my phone in the nearly 2 years I've had it..and if I COULDN'T get online to check fb and stuff..that would be a BONUS!!

      as for the whole escaping to a cabin...see I think I'd rather live like that most of the time..but the world is such that you almost kinda can't delete the internet altogether -- it sure sounds awesome though! :)

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  3. I'm always complaining about all the gadgets - when we took a walk in the chi chi area of Miami a couple of months ago, I pointed out to The Hubs that virtually every couple sitting at the outdoor cafes were not talking to each other. At least one of them was either talking on their cell or texting while their partner sat there looking bored. We had a(nother) discussion about the loss of manners that seems to have followed the rise in cell usage.

    I still have a *gasps* land line in the kitchen. So I can talk while I'm preparing dinner and not worry about dropping the phone in the sink. I know I'm a dinosaur but I love the feel of the handset in my hand and it tucks in the crook of my neck so perfectly when I need to write something down or scrub potatoes - you can't improve on that. Aaand, remember the huge power failure a few years ago when no one could charge their cell phones? I'm never giving up my land line. hah.

    I've just started texting more than once in a blue moon and I also have a little keypad that slides outa my phone. Love it! My kids want me to upgrade soon to a smart phone but I don't need 99% of the features. I don't play games...any games, but having a data plan would be nice I guess so I could check email occasionally when I'm out. Or take advantage of some of the apps... See? It's a disease! Halp! ahahaha!

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  4. I agree with you, Brandi. I left Facebook almost a year ago for similar reasons and although sometimes I feel left out, for the most part I think I have a much healthier relationship with everyone. Now when we all get together, we can swap stories and not hear "Yeah, I already saw that on Facebook." I'm not on Facebook so they enjoy hearing about my life and I enjoy hearing about theirs, it's great!

    As for phones, I have a landline too, probably from the '70's, a "princess phone" with the curly cord and everything! I love it, it's in the bedroom, I bought it for a dollar at a garage sale when I moved out from my ex years ago.

    As for my smartphone, I have a DROID and I hate it. I wish I'd gotten another Blackberry, I loved the keyboard on that and it was super fast. My DROID is a slow-assed piece of utter shit, crowded with fucking apps I don't need but I can't get rid of and the camera part is so slow that no matter how hard I try to time the pictures, it invariably "clicks" waaaay after the moment I was trying to capture and most frustrating of all, it sucks as a phone! The rare times I try to actually talk on it (I mostly use my DROID for internet/chat/text/emails) it doesn't work half the time! It won't let me answer until it goes to voice mail or it won't dial without issues, I haaaaaate this phone. But we can't upgrade until January. You better believe I'll get another goddamned blackberry then!

    And yes, TV has become so intrusive, we have a DVR too but I see the interstitials EVERYWHERE, fucking annoying as fuck.

    Whoops...what happened to my language?

    Awww...FUCK IT! lol ;)

    You know what's funny? I make my living by using social media tools.

    And I hate Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn. Even though I purposely use them for business reasons.

    It's all just too much, oy.

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  5. I have a 'land-line' too...but my phones are cordless..the ones I have plugged in anyway..the phone I was talking about being so uncomfortable to talk on IS my land line..it's cordless (so I can see the caller ID) ...our current service displays the caller ID on the tv as well..so as it stands right now I could have a good OLD phone and still have caller ID (at least while the tv is on)
    somewhere around here we have at least one normal phone..we even have one or two rotary dial phones..but they are desk phones and I need a wall phone..my quest this yard sale season is to get my hands on at least one wall phone either rotary or push button (not sure rotary would work with our current phone service which runs through the cable/internet/whatever (another thing I hate..when the power..or cable/internet are out so is the phone!)

    as for the loss of manners..ugh! ...sometimes I feel like all I do when I'm out is shake my head at people..the other day we were out to lunch and this man was there with his young son (probably 8 or so) ...the kid had a cell phone and was playing with it..the father took it away and was giving him a hard time for being on the phone at the table..meanwhile he had his bluetooth in and a phone in his hand, texting or something through the entire meal (probably updating his fb status to tell the world about the awesome father/son lunch he was having..ha!) ...I can't stand it!!

    anyway...A~ this post started as an angry rant that was full of Fs..I toned it down because as I was writing I sorta calmed down..and it was turning into less of an angry rant and more of a manifesto hahaha

    although the people who deal with me on a regular basis are probably still sensing the frustration...I'm seriously so sick of all of it..I'm very torn because on one hand I just want to get away from all this modern crap..but on the other hand..I enjoy getting to interact with people I would never ordinarily get to interact with (like you guys!) ...AND I feel like I have a viewpoint..and more importantly..projects and goals that I think are worth sharing..and what better way is there to share information?

    I have mixed feelings about fb too..Aah...
    I could go on and on..but I know I'm preaching to the choir hehehe

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  6. The Bluetooth thing cracks me up. All these people walking around looking totally insane talking to themselves just a few years ago would have been locked up! ahahaha!

    Oh Brandi, if you're going to write a manifesto you have to read this. 'grins at you'

    http://www.kimmok.com/514799/THE-MANIFESTO-MANIFESTO#333851/RESUME

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  7. heh! ...awesome!! ..and whenever I see someone with the bluetooth I remember (I think it was Adrienne) talking about playing 'insane or bluetooth' ...now I'm not sure there's much of a difference hahaha

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  8. Did you see that Blackberry came out with a new phone and they scrapped the tactile keyboard?

    I've been sick. Bronchitis for the last week. :\

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    1. are you talking to me? ...what is a tactile keyboard..and why the heck would I have seen the new phone that blackberry came out with? hehehe

      that sucks that you've been sick! ...I've had some kinda stomach thing goin' on for a few days..nothing major..just yucky enough to wipe me out :/

      I hope you feel all better soon!

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  9. Tactile - something you can FEEL. The new Blackberry has the on-screen keyboard like an iPhone.

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  10. I know what tactile means, silly...I just didn't know that's what they called it..I just call mine a keyboard hahaha
    I've never handled a blackberry OR an iphone..I have no idea what either of them have or how they FEEL
    but I DO know that I don't want any touch-screen anything!!
    we're ditching our phones when our contact is up anyway..steppin' back into the 90's haa

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