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I crave quiet.
I know. It’s a strange statement coming from an extrovert like me. You may be surprised to know when I’m in the car alone, the radio stays off. When I’m in the house alone, no t.v. or stereo blares. I anticipate the rare times I can get away by myslef, where I attempt to search for the most silent spot I can find.
In the quiet, I can think. In the silence, I hear God speak.
After reading my Christmas gift, Sarah Mae’s “The Unwired Mom”, I challenged myself to spend a week without Facebook or Twitter. In 7 days, I learned the following lesson:
Life is quieter offline.
Okay. It’s not exactly a revelation. Everyone knows the internet is noisy. However, though my family clamored for family type things, activities started again after the winter break, bills needed paying, and dinner didn’t make itself, I still felt as if I were in a quiet space. Though my week was harried, I remained at peace. The time usually spent updating statuses I instead spent in prayer.
While leaving social media entirely to remain in the quiet is tempting, it’s not realistic for the life I choose. Blogging requires an online presence, sure, but so much communication happens over Facebook. Groups I belong to update current events and I really do enjoy seeing pictures of my friends in Hawaii. The site has taken over the function email used to provide for me.
But Twitter, my nemesis, I did not miss. After one week I had no desire to return to this forum. Until…I saw one tweet that changed my mind:
Ever since @andeezomerman invited me to @KaleoCov it’s been on my mind, and some of my church dreams have started to reawaken. Freaks me out
— Aaron J Smith (@CulturalSavage) January 6, 2014
One mention from an online acquaintance proved to me I still needed to keep my account active. Blast! I guess the site has redeeming qualities after all.
Where do I go from here? I still crave the quiet in which I immersed last week, yet I desire to stay in touch online. Do I keep the Facebook and Twitter apps off of my phone, requiring me to log on to the laptop every time I wish to see what’s happening?
I’m not sure which path I’ll choose just yet. I do have a plan the next time my brain feels jumbled and my life seems out of control.
I’ll be taking another social media break.
How do you keep life balanced with your online relationships?
I also love both the twitters and the breaks. So I (usually) observe the following fasts: The two weeks before Advent; Lent; family vacations.
Richard, I so admire you. I wish I could just leave it for a few times a year. With me, it's all or nothing. I have to learn to manage small chunks of time each day. That's tough for me.
Was that our pics you were referring to? We had the best family vacation I've ever had! I highly recommend it!