Disconnect

After a year traveling in South America J and I decided we did not want to own a TV. We simply realized that whenever we happened to have one at the place we were staying while traveling, we'd spend more time inside the room, basically flicking from one channel to the next. So, we never got a TV when we came back and, amazingly (or maybe not) we have not missed it at all. Although (confession) we do watch Heroes, and I watch Gossip Girl, on the Internet.
The problem is that we've found new ways of wasting our time. Instead of flicking from channel to channel, we spend our time on the Internet, link, link, link from one page to the next. And we're not even doing this together anymore. Before, we at least had to watch the same channel, now it's each of us with our own laptop, sitting together but doing our own thing. I read beautiful blogs, J reads about the latest gadget.
Of course, we get more from the Internet that we ever did from TV. I can't begin to explain how much inspiration I find in the blogs that I read, how many amazing people I've met, how many new projects, ideas, plans I have since I started reading blogs.
The problem is that I don't have time to carry out any of these. And so, I keep reading, jotting down, creating something in my head, but never doing anything in real life (you know, the life outside the blogoesphere). I end up questioning myself, why don't I have time to do the things that other seem to do effortlessly? And it's only in some rare moments that I realize that nobody has time to do everything. Some of the blogs I read are written by people posting about their businesses, or who have made blogging part of their career, or spend more time at home than I do (it's just depressing how much time I spend in the office). Of course, there are a few that are simply amazing and do indeed find time for everything. Or maybe they just MAKE time. Maybe, they turn off their computers once in a while and actually tackle that knitting project they started, or do something with the card making kit they got a while ago, or read the pile of books that will soon have to go back to the library, or decide to stick the cuttings they've been collecting for weeks in their journal.
And that's what I'm going to do as well. I'm disconnecting. Not completely, but I'll be turning off my computer two evenings a week. Of course, on the other days, I'll just have to try harder to keep up with all the blogs I love.
Right... I'm off to read... a book!

This is part of the disconnect challenge, over at The Inspired Room.

Photo from Cabbages and Roses