Day 19 - Decluttering by Unplugging! 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge

It all started innocently enough - although I should no it wouldn't remain so for very long. My husband wanted my laptop to install/update/etc. I know whenever he gets a hold of my laptop/desktop/iPad/iPhone then I'm going to get a lecture. This was no different. I was chided for the messy screen and keys. He took the back off to blow it out with air, convinced that I had let the dogs store their dog fur inside. He even lamented that my CD/DVD player didn't work any longer because I probably used it to store a leftover snack in it to save for later. I just ignored it knowing this was a no brainer, and he'd be done within an hour.

Within five minutes of him taking over my PC, I was certain he had lost his sanctification. I knew I certainly had lost mine with my over the top defensive attitude. Within thirty minutes we had both lost our salvation and I was close to losing my mind. You see, my husband is extremely left brained. He likes order and meticulousness. He is a Civil Engineer if that helps complete the picture. He lines up his pencils, pens, rulers, and erasers in a certain order when he is working, and knows if even one is missing or out of place. I have tested this before, and he really does know. He has a precise number. In fact, we have been stopped by TSA as we go through the checkpoint because his pens, pencils, etc. all rolled up have been mistaken for cigars, joints, and even en explosive device (really?).

He also keeps his desktop on his laptop and PC in a certain order. When he gets a hold of mine it boggles his mind at how I can have so many windows open, so many programs running in the background, lots of unsaved files, and all of the downloads. So, it tends to get quite loud when he gets into my computers.

If my laptop received his seal of approval (more or less) my PC totally failed. Apparently, in installing a free program, I downloaded malware and spyware that was embedded deep into the machine. He said I was broadcasting out on the public domain. I found this hard to believe because he's always saying how tight (or whatever term he uses) our firewalls are. He then backtracked a bit on me putting our home's national security at stake.

It took them a few days to figure it out and this morning we were back up and running.

I couldn't post my blog, I couldn't surf the net, no streaming our TV, no Netflix, Hulu, etc. We don't do cable and instead use a whole home antennae. We do get a lot of stations, but a good portion of them are in Spanish or Korean - so TV got old fast.

It's amazing at how dependent we become on technology, and how much of our life is connected to being connected. Per my usual, every Lent I give up FaceBook except for fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the evening. I thought that was disconnecting. It's not. I couldn't send or read emails unless I used the data on my phone, and typing an email on my phone is not productive - so my emails were pretty short. I couldn't spend time (waste time) on Pinterest, playing Internet games, or reading articles. I couldn't go down the many YouTube/Wikipedia rabbit holes that take a bunch of my time during the day.

At first I was bugged, and it bothered me. I didn't realize how connected to the Internet I actually had become. So, I had to find other ways to fill my time. Actual productive ways. I was able to sew a few projects that had just been waiting for me to start. I could design some wedding invitations for a friend. I spent time outside in the nice weather. I got my 10,000 steps in before noon.

I was also able to find time to do chores around the house. Things that needed to be done apart from this blog. All in all it was a much more productive time. Sometimes we just need to take the time to unplug and get connected with the world around us. Take time to appreciate the here and now. For all of the convenience of technology, it is that much, if not more, of a distraction. In the words of Wayne from Wayne's World, "Live in the now! Live in the now!"

The other thing that these past few days taught me reminded me of the play "Our Town" by Thorton Wilder. It was one of my favorite plays in junior high, and I would read it over and over. I thought even at those young years, I grasped the meaning, and would take the time to just stop and breathe in the moment - not take life for granted.

But in today's world, especially with technology, life gets taken for granted. I might stop and recognize moments for what they are, but in the day to day life, not so much. Too many dinners are spent with my husband with both of us on our tablets or phones while the tv is going in the background. Or, we go to a restaurant and text and surf the web unless it's a nice place where that's taboo.

It's been nice to actually take a breather and get back to basics in a lot of ways. It's been time for me to appreciate all the gifts, friends, and family I have in my life. I was able to declutter my mind just a bit. So, while my actual bag has become a virtual bag this last week, it certainly has been worth it.

Don't forget to subscribe to win the Decluttering Challenge at the end of 40 Bags in 40 Days. You can win a roomba robot vacuum, personal steam cleaner, and an array of Spring Cleaning Essential Oils.