San Francisco Chronicle columnist, James Temple, wrote this week about being a tech addict, with a craving for a constant fix from his multiple tech choices, on line news, facebook, twitter, etc. etc. He suggests there are many suffering the same addiction and recommends one possible solution for detox. The idea comes from Reboot, a Jewish think tank in New York who advocate for a digital free 24 hours/week - a day of rest to give us a chance to balance our lives. I've been thinking about my upcoming pilgrimage in relationship to my own tech addiction. I'm never far from my iPhone and iPad and find myself engaging on a very regular and daily basis with what, whoever, and whatever they have to offer. I am planning to blog my way through Spain, unless...
Perhaps I need to re-think this. How will my spiritual experience be affected by my tuning into the various devices instead of communing with the real world around me? Do I really want to engage with Siri or with the live person with a story to tell on the path beside me? I'm thinking I will be very, very brave and leave my "wookie" behind. Confession: as a huge Starwars fan, I call my iPad "wookie". If you are a Starwars fan too, you will know why.
I think I will, instead, take a journal and my favorite pen and blog with these two "devices". I can then enter them into the Blog whenever I happen to have access to a computer or, even, when I get to Santiago where my hotel has Wi-fi and all the trimmings. I suspect I may find myself suffering a bit of withdrawal during the first days of abstinence. However, I think I will take a chance. Being present and attentive to the experience I have so long dreamed of and planned for seems a no brainer. Thank you, James Temple, for the inspiration and motivation. The National Day of Unplugging offers a modern day of rest and a respite from a relentless deluge of technology. I believe I will take an International Month of Unplugging. Well, how about three weeks? Wouldn't want to over do my first time out!
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