A Tech-Free Vacation

After a week of being sick, followed by a week of vacation, I'm back, and trying to get back into the swing of things, blogging-wise. Here's a quick article by an avowed techie who goes a week (a whole week!) without access to his toys:

I'll admit that the anxiety would still creep up every once in a while, and I'd have to shake my head and stare at the brilliant blue ocean until the feeling subsided. It always did, and I can remember long stretches of time where I didn't once think about my phone, my computer, Twitter, Facebook, or the Internet. In those times, I read, drew, engaged with my family, and lived a blissfully tech-free, 20th-century lifestyle.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm still, at heart, a techie-geek. I love my toys, and I covet an iPhone more than any healthy person should. But, many of heard me speak about the need to remember who's in charge - who is the master, and who is the slave? When our tech-toys become an addiction, I really do think it's a problem.

That's why (well, one of the big reasons) I've become such a stickler for not using technology on Shabbat in synagogue. There's something to be said for taking one day a week, not worrying about the news, e-mail, work and "out there," and instead focusing on family, friends and the curious sensation of having time pass, without having each moment filled by something else.