Slamming the Digital Door

Life is full of tethers. Functioning to hold us to our roots and keep us grounded, tethers also restrict us from freedom — tethers restrict our movements. Today has been a challenge just to work. Granted, I’m not being paid for this work, but it’s a project I’m really trying to finish. Because of every tether, I can barely even get started. Now, for today’s tethers:

E-mail
E-mail is a tether that’s unescapable (at least permanently). In the past half a decade, the longest periods I’ve gone without almost constant attention to my e-mail are those where I step back from all technology: camp, spiritual retreats, hiking on the Appalachian Trail. All of these are moments where I take a break and go without. In the past 24 hours I’ve sent 20 different e-mails that were substantial (three paragraphs or more). While I’m accomplishing a lot by writing them, I’m drained!

If I have many more days like this in the upcoming month, I’m going to create my own e-mail sabbath. I’ve read about them in news articles, but I’ve never tried it as a discipline. Maybe I’d enjoy life more if I tried it. Hmmm …

Tech Support
One of the nice things about basing out of my parents’ office when I’m in Des Moines is the high-speed internet and the “other-space”. By “other-space” I mean a location that’s not at home, a location that gets rid of the distractions of TV and other things. My parents’ office is an example of this “other-space” that offers its own distractions. Every once in a while I need to help with a printer, or take a look at a new computer, or be a sounding board for programming ideas. Don’t read this incorrectly: I absolutely love it and most of the times when I’m not in this environment (or in Seattle), I miss it! But, it’s definitely harder to work and keep a smooth pace.

Music
Music is supposed to be supportive. Few people listen to music to their own detriment (unless it’s to damage hearing or to inflame their emotions). For some reason, today’s work was slowed because of the music I was listening to. It’s not that it was distracting music either: Outkast and Lonestar. How could I go bad with those two? Their melodies are creative and original; why shouldn’t some of that wear off on the listener?

Even though these three tethered me down, I tied up a lot of loose ends. All of the e-mails worked to solidify my seminary visits and housing situations for the next four months. I also signed up for the GRE on Thursday (I didn’t get any studying done, however). If I’m going to accomplish anything tangible in the next three days, notably the programming project I’m working on, I’m going to have to slam the digital door. E-mails can wait; my speakers might need to stay silent; the computer questions won’t be THAT crucial.

Hahaha, who am I kidding? …