Going wild

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I went away for a few days with my family, and the cabin we stayed in had no mobile phone reception, no internet connection, no tv channels. We were on the edge of a national park, so during the day we walked the tracks and in the evening we ate simple dinners, read and watched movies on the couch (I did appreciate the DVD player and TV screen!). I had mobile reception on top of two rocky climbs in the middle of nowhere, and found myself answering texts from work, much to my family's disgust. But apart from that, we were disconnected. We talked and joked and hung out together. Annoyed each other and ate potato chips. My son made a fire in the pot-belly stove. None of us were glued to our phones. We didn't wander away to separate areas of the house, to separate computers and devices.I realise that families are made up of individuals, all pursuing different goals. We all have different interests. It's natural that we'll spend time apart. And using technology is a part of life these days. But I loved having those three days without the intrusion of connectivity (well, apart from my work texts!), all together. It was so relaxing, I wonder if a 'fake' disconnect would be almost as good? For when the news gets too grim, when every email is junk, when the Facebook feed is never-ending and the phone keeps ringing ... just for one Sunday at home. Switched off from the internet with the answering machine taking all calls, going for long walks, taking baths, eating food cooked slowly whilst sipping wine or soda water. Maybe that would work, too, when getting physically away is impossible. In the meantime, I'm determined to be intentional in how I spend my time, and how connected I am. Because as much as I love social media and interacting with people, sometimes I let myself get swamped by it, and I can spend hours flicking, reading, clicking. These past few days in the wilderness have reminded me I have choices, if only I pay attention. If only I pay attention.