23 December 2010

 Image by Marcin Wichary

Word count:  445

Estimated reading time:  5 minutes

Last year at this time I wrote about having a low-tech Christmas – disconnecting from computers and other tech gadgets and reconnecting with people.

Reconnecting not via Facebook – but face-to-face connections. Not being limited to 160-characters via Twitter – but long, relaxing conversations. And except for those who live in other parts of the world, not even via video chats.

I read recently about the value of ‘in-the-flesh’ personal connections. Real-world connections build new neural connections in your brain. The rapid-response interactions of a live conversation challenge you to explore new ideas and learn.

Brain benefits aside, the idea of a low-tech holiday appeals to me at the level of simply needing a rest. I spend untold hours/days/weeks/months (!!) sitting at a computer. Even when I’m away from computer work, I might sit on the sofa and read from an e-reader. And wouldn’t you know, when I stop reading, I’ll watch TV while playing Scrabble on my iPhone. (I’m addicted to Scrabble. And after playing more than a thousand games, my stats are amazing! J)

There’s no doubt about it – I’m a ‘tech-a-holic’. (Not as much as my husband, to be sure – but I definitely spend way too much time with techy stuff.) It’s easy to get lost in all the gadgets and forget to take some down time to stop and relax and think and plan. And it’s far too easy to neglect personal relationships.

So when I finish writing and posting this blog, I’m going to take some time off from the hustle and hassle of technology – a bit of time to rest my eyes on something entirely different from display screens. (Sure, it’ll be hard to resist a few games of Scrabble, but I’ll really try!)  

My husband and I have already planned on doing some gardening work outside, something we truly love to do. Pulling weeds and digging in the soil is a very relaxing thing for me. Unfortunately, from the state of our plants, you can tell that I haven’t taken enough time to relax with this hobby for a long time.

We both enjoy art. So we’ll also visit a local museum to see models of machines that Leonardo da Vinci created, along with reproductions of some of his paintings.

What will you be doing this holiday? I hope you’ll be able to take time away from technology and spend it reconnecting with the people you love and on the quietness you need to rest and recover.

Have a wonderful low-tech Christmas holiday – and a very prosperous New Year!

(PS--As I did last year, I’ll take next week off from writing this blog. See you in 2011.)