Text, Emails, and What Matters Most

Today I read an interview of Jonathan Safran Foer, interviewer not named but on Daily Candy. This post is because of that interview. Let me explain.


I had planned on not writing today. I have tons to do. I woke up to a cold house (ran out of oil), and have to plan for and throw a class party today. In one hour, by the way. I have to also get Valentine's for my son to give to his class, since he doesn't want homemade ones anymore. And I'd like to go to the gym, and there are other things too. I won't be meeting my friend Deb for coffee after all, won't be getting my nails done. Endless morning.


I talk to my boyfriend every morning when the day begins, but when I called today, he was unavailable. 


I called my mother next, to ask if the offer still stands for me to take my grandfather's old sheet music, but once she heard that I was going to die cut it into hearts to make a year-round mobile for my bedroom (I thought it would be a nice way to honor his music, and make something pretty), she said no. She doesn't want it cut up. I'm sure it's getting far more respect sitting in a closet's corner, in a pile, collecting dust.


With all this, one of the messages in the aforementioned interview just sang. Jonathan Safran Foer says that when his Blackberry contract is up, he's getting rid of it. When the interviewer told him that it seemed really tough thing for anyone to do, he responded, "We have to do it, or else we’re totally f- - -ed. We’re going to be on our deathbeds looking back, being like, “How much time did I spend on e-mail looking up stuff I didn’t care about?” We don’t need them. We totally don’t. We only believe we do."


I get it.  I like to say that I keep my phone on me in the event that my son needs me. However, I admit that I do use it to check emails and surf the web. I find, too, that in social situations, sometimes those around me will be on their Blackberry/iPhone/Droid instead of being present in the conversation. Thus, what Foer said really struck a chord.


I know that I will not be the person trading in my Blackberry when the contract ends (do I even have a contract?) but I do like the idea of shutting down (not off, just down) when it's not necessary, and on the weekends. I still see people texting while driving, and holding their phones (so they are on speaker). Do they think that's okay? And what is so important it can't wait?


There's this mom that comes to pick her kids up at school everyday in her ginormous SUV, the biggest one they make. I'm not sure the brand, and my town is so small that identifying the vehicle might call her out, something I'm not comfortable doing. Anyhow, I get there early and read, so I get a good parking spot. She comes about 10 minutes before pick up, cannot get a spot, and just circles the front of the school. She's done this since September, and every single time she passes me, she is talking on her phone, on speaker, holding it in front of her face. We are at school. Kids are everywhere, and it is so dangerous, not to mention illegal. I see her and wonder, is she so bored that she cannot stand a minute of silence? Who does she need to talk to so badly, that she must do so while circling the school?


I guess my whole point is to slow down. Stop living through technology and start living in the world. We don't need these phones to get through the day. As an attempt to start living life more fully, and less virtually, I will not be checking my email after 3 p.m. today, and will return to the plastic tabletop box on Sunday night, to write my blog. No social networking, no emails, no online ordering, no blogs. (p.s. My spell check doesn't recognize the word "texting" -- how cool is that?)


No one needs to muddle through life via text alerts and useless emails about nothing. Ask yourself, can you spend a whole weekend free of emails and web surfing? I dare you to try.