Connections
Maybe it is the long rainy days that brought this on or mercury in retrograde, but recently I developed a strong aversion to ‘screens’—monitors, televisions, laptops, blackberries—you know – ‘screens’. It began in a taxi ride in NY when the news was on a ‘screen’, it heightened while standing in line at a supermarket where the news was on a ‘screen’ again, and pretty much climaxed when my body kept avoiding sitting down in front of my ‘screen’ to work last week.
No fool to clues of burn out, I promptly took a walk in the rain breathed in the negative ions, allowed myself to become awestruck by the lingering fog and for a moment felt better. Still when I walked into my office, I could not get my body to settle down in front of my ‘screen’. So I built a fire, made a cup of tea, and decided I was going to unplug for a day or so.
Which as you know is not so easy. To unplug- or to disconnect these days requites a bit of effort. AT&T, etc market themselves by keeping us all connected—‘all around the world’. What I am wondering though is —- what staying connected means or translates to ‘all around the world’. One might like to think that staying connected has overtones of caring—of keeping in touch with ones values, sense of self, friends, family, belief systems, and if you will to-god. Staying connected not so long ago was something we did to keep us whole, nurtured—and sane. Staying connected did not translate to connecting to a ‘screen’-no matter how flat, thin, or skinny.
About the only ones advocating we disconnect from our ‘screens’ is Kaiser Permanente—everyone I speak to agrees—their ads rock. Why? Because in the name of health and healthy lifestyles Kaiser continually suggests we turn off our screens—we disconnect, we manage our stress, become nutritionally and emotionally aware of our choices, and generally spend some time reflecting on how best to take care of oneself—all significant keys to maintaining health. Finally, a health care model that understands the key to our current health care crisis is prevention. (Take note that prevention requires awareness and balance.) With thoughts of health care systems focusing on prevention then might it be a good idea for us to start looking at ways in which we can all disconnect and focus on bringing our lives back into balance—re-connecting to that which truly matters?
Stay true,
M