• We spent the last holiday weekend visiting with family out of state to allow the younger cousins to hang out and bond.  As all the young kids ran out to play I noticed that Sarah, who is 9 years old and the youngest of 3 children, sat on the couch glued to her book. I went over to greet her, and asked, “Why aren’t you outside playing with your cousins?” She looked up briefly to say hello and replied, “Because I love reading! It’s like watching TV only no one can take this TV away from me.” Wow, I thought.  What a sharp 9 year old.  And though it did make me wonder what she did to lose TV privileges, it also started me thinking about good old fashioned reading…

    …there’s something special that I still love about getting an actual letter in the mail, and the feel of reading about current events from a real newspaper

    With all of the amazing technology these days, most of which I love and depend on, it’s easy to stay connected to the world everywhere you go. That’s the positive way to look at it. The other side of the coin is that it’s also a ball and chain that follows you around everywhere you go. That’s the part I hate!  Reading books, getting the news, or receiving e-mails on your computer, Smartphone or iPad are all great advances in technology. However, call me old school or environmentally unfriendly, but there’s something special that I still love about getting an actual letter in the mail, and the feel of reading about current events from a real newspaper. I don’t care if it’s a day late or not!  Furthermore, though I love my friends and family, I miss the days when I could just kick back with a good old paperback novel and easily shut out the world.  Thinking about all of this left me feeling jealous of Sarah.

    There is something liberating and sort of natural about unplugging from everything and not having to rely on technology or internet availability. Think about the benefits and ease of being able to delve in to your own world of thoughts before going to bed without having to check in or log off before falling asleep. Yes, it’s great to have your children stay up to speed with all of the latest devices. But maybe it’s good to keep kids exposed to those paperback novels and magazines so that they are comfortable with and may even develop an old fashioned love for them.  Another benefit is that this way they can keep themselves busy even when their devices are down or inaccessible.  I am beginning to think that a little unplugging might be good for the soul!