The Lost Weekend

ketchingupwithketchmark:

notesondesign:
take the long way….

My last post inspired some of my friends to join me in eliminating social media from our daily routines. It certainly wasn't my intention to have everyone up-and-leave Facebook and Insta, but it's nice to have people doing this with me. Solidarity, sister.

I just got back from spending my first weekend without any social media interaction in Orange County, and I have to say--I absolutely LOVED it. I spent long hours talking with my mom one on one into the wee hours of the night. I went on a hike/run with my sister and nephew the next morning. The weather was bright, clear and I got terribly sunburned. After a glorious shower, I played soccer golf with my entire family and my dad's staff. My dad's company sponsored the tournament, which was a fundraising event for Pure Game (which teaches non-competitive soccer to at-risk youths). After several margaritas, doing handstands in the grass and the satisfaction of coming in 4th out of 36 teams, I went to Shane's dad's house in Laguna. His stepmom cooked us a delicious prime rib dinner and his dad taught us how to do our taxes (which were both successfully filed and accepted!). The next morning, my family and Shane went down to San Clemente and we ate breakfast this cute little place where my Grandad and Granma always used to eat. He had blueberry pancakes like they used to do; It was painfully nostalgic. We leisurely walked up and down the pier, staring out into the aquamarine abyss, listening to the trains go by and the seagulls caw. We put Forrest's feet in the water (much to his abhorrence) and then spent the rest of the afternoon drinking cold beers poolside at Shane's dad's house. In the evening I worked on household chores with my family and ate dinner with them. We realized that we all counted on our fingers in a different way. I start with my thumb and end with my ring finger. My dad starts with his pinky. We're the weird ones. Later, my Grandad told me all about the history of Hearst Castle and we all played with Forrest on the stairs. Late at night, I went over to Shane's mom's house and she taught us how to two-step and waltz. Then Shane's brother excitedly told me all about his senior year of college and I felt really proud of him.

I know that I probably would have done all of these things if I had social media on my phone, but I did notice a difference. It was my intention. I had nowhere else to go. There was no escape--I had no way of distracting myself from all of these things that were REALLY happening in my life. There were familial altercations and uncomfortable bouts of sadness from missing Granma, but that's part of what makes the good times feel even better. I was in the present, thinking about and experiencing only what was happening as it was happening. A focused determination that kept me fully invested the whole time. My phone was dead for a night and a day. I didn't care. By the end of the weekend I had no desire to see what anyone else had done. Complete satisfaction with my personal experience. I just don't need to know what a semi-good friend from elementary school or the wife of my old friend from college did over the weekend, you know what I mean?

This is such a liberating feeling.

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