In the Moment

Walk in the rain, smell flowers, stop along the way, build sandcastles, go on field trips, find out how things work, tell stories, say the magic words, trust the universe.  – Bruce Williamson

I’ve been taking “media-free” days lately — setting aside a certain number of days where I spend no time on TV and no time on the computer other than what’s required to do my transcription. 

I’ve asked around, and apparently, I’m not alone in feeling that our culture of information is overwhelming sometimes.  The Internet is such a major part of our lives, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine life without it.  Message boards provide us with constant companionship.   Social networking tools provide us with an environment where every aspect of our lives is a potential for dialogue:  “I’m matching socks.”  “Did you find them all?”  “What colors are they?” 

Those times during the day when we would naturally be alone with our  thoughts become times for composing messages in our heads, for thinking about what we’d like to say in response to that post about cloth diapers, for wondering if anyone commented on our status update.  (“I’m washing dishes.”)

When I really stop and think about how often I am not actually on the computer, but planning what I am going to do the next time I am on the computer, it becomes alarming how much time I am spending NOT living in the moment.   That’s where media-free days help me regain my balance.  After a day or so without electronic media, the chatter in my head slows down.  I stop wondering what’s been said in response to my posts, because I haven’t made any.  I start thinking about how nice the breeze feels, about how cute my kids’ dimples are, about the smell of the dinner I’m cooking and how blessed I am to have a family to cook for.  I start thinking about this moment.  I start thinking about God.  I start praying.  

And in the stillness, my mind composes internal dialogue with the Creator in the space left by the absence of media chatter.