Having dinner at an outdoor restaurant sans televisions.

September 21, 2017​

Screens are everywhere. I have noticed them at the pumps at gas stations and in restrooms. It seems like we always need to be entertained or stimulated. Silence is no longer valued.

After Noah’s death, I could not stand silence. It was overpowering to be left alone with my thoughts and feelings which is why I could not stand swimming for at least a year. I felt like I needed a distraction nearby to limit how often I cried or felt turmoil. Mostly I would crochet in these instances and took my hooks and yarn with me everywhere. In cases like this, you do what you need to do to survive. I no longer feel like I need the distractions to rely on though I still have lots of emotions regarding his death.

I noticed I have more meaningful conversations with friends without the tv on in the background or someone checking their phone constantly. My children play with their friends more creatively and learn social skills without tv during a playdate. My husband and I enrich our relationship when choosing to talk, read together or play a board game instead of being on our iPhones or watching something before bed.

I love this quote written by Matthew Kelly (author and motivational speaker). “Develop the habit of spending a few minutes each day in silence and you will have more clarity about every aspect of your life and peace deep within your soul. Clarity emerges from silence, and passion and purpose are the fruits of clarity.”

If I am always distracted, I may miss the look on my child’s face at the playground when they finish crossing the monkey bars for the first time. I may miss a conversation with my spouse or friend that strengthens our relationship. I may miss feeling gratitude towards nature or recognizing small acts of kindness from strangers. I do not want my children to grow up thinking that there is always something on my phone that is more important than they are. Even when I am alone, I may miss reflecting on what I can do to become the best version of myself which in turn benefits everyone around me.

I am not anti-technology. I value my Goggle maps and weather app, listen to podcasts and music daily and love that we can FaceTime with friends and family on my phone, but there is a time for that. What needs to be considered is how much we want technology to be a constant presence in our lives.