Happily unplugged

It is difficult to be alone, without interruption, today.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

By Jim LaJoie 

It used to be that if you wanted to spend some time completely alone, you didn’t have to invest too much time or effort to do so. You could merely sit in your house and not answer the phone or the door. 

You could go to a park, and, without cell phones, become unreachable to the world. You could get in your car and drive a fair distance, pull over to some diner, order a cup of coffee, and happily be alone with your thoughts.  You could go find a lake or river and go fishing and there would be nothing but you and nature. You could also just go sit on the front porch (but now, with many homes having outdoor security systems with cameras, even that may be lost). 

Those days are, unhappily, gone. With the advent of technology, especially cell phones, spending some time “unplugged” has become difficult. Today, you could be in the middle of woods, alone with your thoughts and whatever creatures that lived in those woods, and still be instantly reached as long as there was cell service. If you were addicted to immediately answering your texts, you are not truly alone in the woods. The same is true with emails. 

I am introverted by nature. I have a job that requires me to not be introverted during the workday. I have a wife who would not appreciate me going long stretches without talking to her (although, in all honesty, she might disagree with that last sentence at times). I need regular alone time, even if it’s just an hour. That time alone helps me to emotionally recharge. 

It is difficult to be alone, without interruption, today. It isn’t impossible but it does require more effort than in years past. 

I admit there are many practical advantages to being connected. An elderly person with health issues living alone certainly would feel a need to be able to instantly communicate with the outside world. A parent would like to be able to reach a son or daughter at once if needed. I like to be able to send a quick text to my wife to tell her I’m on the way home.  It is convenient. It’s just that I like the feeling of planned, limited, isolation. 

My iPhone, which I am very happy to have for many reasons, can feel like a beast with many tentacles – with its phone service and texting and email capabilities – at times feels less like a device and more like a living creature eager to keep me in its clutches. I don’t believe cell phones are inherently bad and outdoor security cameras certainly have a place. I am not a Luddite. I believe in the value of technology, or at least most of it. 

I try to walk for at least 30 minutes daily primarily for health reasons, but also to stay emotionally balanced. I refuse to take my phone with me. For 30 minutes or so, I am alone. Sure, there are other people I see walking and I may nod or say hello, but I still feel alone with my thoughts. I treasure that time alone. It makes me feel whole again. 

About the author: Jim LaJoie was born and raised in Massachusetts but fled the harsh winters by fleeing to North Carolina. He has lived more decades than he cares to admit.