Front Porch Sittin' and Slowing it all Down

On my commute I have a lot of time to think, and one of the things that I've been pondering in my car is a slower pace of life. I think about when people would sit on their porches with lemonade and just talk to each other. I imagine a game of Scrabble or checkers or chess while watching the world go by. 

No phones. No social media. No marathoning Netflix. 

Just friends, family, and conversation. 

I used to think that quietly sitting on the porch would be the most boring waste of an afternoon, but now I'm beginning to think they were on to something. Our life is so fast-paced now. Work, school, social events, sporting events, church, lessons, grocery shopping, cleaning, and the list goes on...

I long to just sit in silence and companionship. 

Oh, I'm good at sitting still with my phone. Sometimes I will lounge on my bed and glance up to realize I've sat there for two hours flipping through Facebook and Pinterest. How much of my life am I wasting on this device? 

On the flip side, while driving to work it sure does make a nice place to jot down my notes via voice messaging or audio recorder. If I need to look something up on the spot, Google is a lifesaver. 

But what what am I sacrificing if I don't learn to put it down and walk away for a while? What moments in life have I missed out on because I was too busy with my head screwed into a tiny computer with a touch screen? Was there a laugh I missed or an inside joke or something funny the dog did? Could I have met a friend at a coffee shop and spent two hours visiting and connecting? Could my husband and I have played a game of chess like we did on our honeymoon when, as a result of beginner's luck, I actually beat him? How many days have I been riled up over something I saw on Facebook that really shook my day? How many days would I have been blissfully unaware had I not been screwed into social media? I'm not saying that we shouldn't watch the news or be informed, but I do think we are relentlessly bombarded with negativity. There is a difference between being aware of something and being inundated with it daily and hourly and even by the minute sometimes. 

I watched a comedy video recently about a support group for "woke" people. The meeting was a typical support group circle where the members were so concerned with being offended by everything that they could not enjoy life...or even get through a group meeting effectively. This seems to be a trend directly related to the availability and sheer magnitude of the online age. The skit was a joke, but there is a lot of truth to it. I don't remember people being so offended by everything before it was all in our faces so much. 

As with anything, it is about balance. I do not feel like I need to throw away the cell phone, but I do think I need to put some controls on it. When I get home tonight I need to silence it and not look at it for a while. I don't want to leave Facebook altogether because I have some great Bible studies and groups on there. And I think those are healthy to a point...but even that becomes too much if I use it as a substitute for real connection. A Bible study online is great, but not if I don't ever walk away from the phone and actually spend time in the word with my Father. God is found in quiet contemplation and the reading of his word and spending time in worship...not in a Facebook group. The people I love will not be here forever. I will not be here forever.

Turn off the phone. Relax with a lemonade. Play a game with your family. Stop letting everything offend you. Go meet that neighbor. 

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but front porch sittin' sounds pretty good to me...well, maybe in October it will anyway...


Comments

  1. I have come to value the 'front porch' sittin and just talking. I like some peace and quiet and it relaxes me. I have really stopped watching news, but will read some online so I know whats going on. Anyone who is radically political on FB i unfriend. Just can't do it. Good writing! Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That Weird Kid

Unpacking a Verse: Isaiah 49:23b

A Fairy Tale Life...