So it has been a little over a month since I have gotten rid of my AT&T data plan for my cell phone.  Here is my update on what my life has been like since its departure.

There are times that I have nothing to do and I am forced to do the absolutely frightening thing and sit in stilllessness with myself.  No emails to check, no drudgereport to peruse.  Only myself, plain ole me.

I wonder if as a people we don’t really like ourselves.  I mean, ever moment we are trying to get away from ourselves.  We constantly are wanting distractions by means of music, movies, tv, email and books. Seriously, If I treated my wife like I treat myself, she would have divorced me years ago.  Maybe the pertinent question is, have we divorced ourselves?  Have I divorced myself?

There is much encouragement to spend a “date night” with your spouse, to encourage conversation, engagement and time for relational growth together.  But can I ask, when was the last time you took 30 minutes of silence and solitude and listened to the thoughts, feelings and emotions that are running through your head.  

So the disconnection I now feel in regards to my phone has been a reawakening of how much I fill my extra time with technological noise.  There were times when I am waiting for my haircut where I am actually fidgeting with my phone like a crack addict, hoping for something to pop across the screen to entertain, to sooth the pain of the silence.  When the silence becomes too overwhelming I crack and pull out a game of Solitaire, again filling my mind with some sort of noise.

How much time do you spend alone with your thoughts, please take the informal poll below, I would find the results interesting?

I encourage you, take a walk and unpack the clog of thoughts.  Heck, even take yourself on a date… you deserve it.