No Email for 58 Hours

I shut off my computer on Friday night. I disconnected my Wi-Fi. And I didn’t turn on my computer or check my email until this morning.

Felt great.

That’s a full 58 hours without email or Internet.

Instead of sneaking to my computer to peek at email or blog comments every few hours, I played with my kids, went to the park, vacuumed the garage, put together a puzzle, bought a new pair of shoes, did some reading, and did a little bit of list-making and writing in my notebook.

Not much different from what I might normally have done; the difference was a feeling of clarity. A feeling that I wasn’t chained to my laptop. A feeling that I was living in the real world.

I’m sad to confess that until this past weekend it had been months since I went two days or longer without checking email.

It’s my fault for letting down my guard and allowing my own busy-ness to consume my time.

Note to self: Turn off my Wi-Fi more often.

-Ryan M. Healy