Silence: Digital Sabbatical

I am sitting in the public library to get out of the house and get some tasks accomplished; this blog post for one. Sometimes it is easy to get distracted at home. You see something that needs to be done or you want to watch an episode on Netflix or just lay in bed.

It is hard to get silence with radio, television, children asking questions non-stop. Have you realized how weird it is to drive without the radio? It is such an odd void. I know this because my husband's car's radio is broken so there is an awkward silence when I drive it. I was hoping to come here to the library to be more focused for this blog. Even at the library I can't get silence. There is a table of three women whispering at a table. Not sure why they don't just don't get a table at a coffee shop or a restaurant so they can talk at normal tones and avoid annoying the patrons around them.

I decided to delete the apps that occupy most of my time, my favorite platforms.  I asked myself how and why I use these tech tools. There are some apps I have never even used, like Twitter or Snapchat. I am walking away from facebook, Instagram, and Messenger for a while. The apps were deleted so I wouldn't see them on my phone screen. Not sure how long the hiatus will last, but yesterday was the beginning.

An excuse I've used in the past when I entertained the idea of stepping away from technology: "I need the phone right now for business because I am trying to recruit, fund raise or sell something." Now seems like 'a good time as any'. 

I don't want my kids and husband to think that the phone and the notifications are more important than that moment with them. I've decided to keep the phone tethered to the wall instead of having the phone tethered to me. It disgusts me that the cell phone has to leave the room with us. We have to carry it to the bathroom, out in the yard, and to the bedroom and we feel completely lost if it isn't right where we are. I'm going to even leave the phone at home instead of taking it everywhere with me. Why is it the last thing we look at before we fall asleep and the first thing we look at in the morning? Really the only thing I need the phone for is phone calls and occasional emails. I love the title of an essay from Essential I heard "Most Emergencies Aren't" meaning everything can wait. News can wait until after a meal with my husband, or after the kids go to bed, or after the pastor's sermon, or when I get home. Remember when we had phones and voicemail set-up at home? What was wrong with waiting until we got home to see who called while we were out? How many phone calls do we actually get anyways?

There is something wrong with the panic that is associated with your cell phone dying or your battery percentage going below a certain number. I was at the Water Festival last week and I had not charged my phone all day or overnight so when I arrived at the concert I had 1%. It was an uncomfortable feeling because I was without a cell phone for 5 hours. Guess what? I survived. Nothing happened. I had never seen the obsession, to this extreme, until we had a Vietnamese exchange student lived with us. Sometimes his first conversation in the morning was how much his battery charged overnight or how many minutes it took for his battery power to increase 1%. His phone battery kept him from wanting to be away from home too long. Sad. Because of this panic, now there are the portable power sticks that you can charge your device away from a power outlet. Regrettably, I have been gifted a couple of them. 

My ears are super sensitive. I have excellent hearing. Always have. Even as a young girl, my parents would be whispering at the dining room table while I was in my bedroom and I could hear them. I would ask them about their conversation and my dad would call me "Radar Ears".

As notifications, interruptions, distractions are silenced during this sabbatical, I want my ears to hear my children's clever stories and their interpretation of the world. I want to hear my husband's compliments, his daily struggles and victories, and his proclamations of love for me. I want to hear the Lord's voice as He speaks to me through the pastor and through His Word. By silencing the digital world, my ears will be able to hear the important things. John 10:27 says, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know know them, and they follow me.

So I have been on summer break since June 1. During the school year, I use a Passion Planner. It helps me organize and prioritize tasks that need to be completed over a week, month, year, 3-years, 10-years, and lifetime. I'm a BIG list person and having a place to jot down my lists is useful for me. Our family moved on May 29th to our "tiny house". With a move there is an abundance of tasks, but I decided not to use my Passion Planner over the summer. Some mornings, I reflected and brainstormed for the day so I would have some direction. Of course, it started out with unpacking boxes, and sorting between "keep", "yard sale", "donate", and "trash". Then I was able to finish painting some doors, and adding some personality to the house. There were a few days that I just "vegged" on the couch all day. It was relaxing while I did it, but then I felt guilty and horrible later.

In true form, I made a list of what I did over summer break so I could look back over it and not have regrets about how I spent the blessing of time God granted me. I had so much fun, whether I was alone or with the children. I tried to be intentional with each day so now that I have 2-weeks left of summer break, I won't feel like it was wasted. 

• Painted 12 doors, to be exact
• Had a yard sale
• Bought and practiced a slack line (haven't mastered yet)
• Set-up and promoted the Little Free Library in the front yard
• Built an outdoor shower
• Framed a quilt to hang in the dining room
• Power washed the driveway, carport, and sidewalks
• Painted our dresser
• Blogged
• Made and hung lace curtains
• Put lace in the window
• Stenciled and stained the kitchen table
• Read my father's book The Last Ferry to Beaufort
• Made use of our beach pass as many times as I could
• Had breakfast with my new 4th grade team
• Spray painted the mailbox, and multiple misc. items around the house 
• Hung a nesting ball for birds
• Hosted a LuLaRoe pop-up boutique
• Lost weight
• Cheered on my son during Tee ball season
• Traveled to Athens, Ga and Cleveland, Ga
• Raised $1,400 for the Radiance Women's Center
• Raised $650 for Boys & Girls Missionary Challenge
• Water Festival (6 different events)
• Had a quilt made with baby clothes
• Gilmore Girls marathon (7 seasons)

Over the next couple weeks, I plan to yard bomb some trees in our yard, participate in a dessert competition, make a race shirt quilt, volunteer with the kids, wall paper the 1/2 bath, and go on a family vacation to the water park. 

Come August 8th, the Passion Planner will be back in commission recording all the teacher tasks I have to get done before the first day of school. 

If you had 2-months, what would you accomplish? 

R