Capture the Things that Move You

I have a love hate relationship with my smart phone and my computer. One  minute I want to hurl them both off a cliff, and then two minutes  later, I accidentally drop one of them or forget one in a restaurant,  and my breath gets caught in my throat, and I suddenly feel like my life  is going to end.

There are lots of reasons to hate the technology that surrounds us every  moment of every day. But, then again, there are lots of reasons to love  it too. Maybe you’re firmly in one camp? Or maybe you straddle the  technology lover/hater line like I do.

I love that technology allows me to live an untethered life. That my work can travel. That I can literally have an office wherever my laptop can go, and I can easily stay connected to the people I love. I wrote Upgrade Unlocked while eating pad thai in the street in Bangkok. I’ve written thousands of words from 37,000 feet in the sky. I’ve Facetimed into family holiday gatherings from far aways squares in Cambodia and Colombia. I’ve even been known to hike into the forest with my computer and my hammock when I need to get away to a “quiet” office to think. I’ve been able to build the life I have because the world is more connected than ever.

Yet, sometimes I miss the days when my computer was as big as the  desk it sat on, and there was no chance that I’d ever try to pack it in  my carryon for a trip around the world. I miss the days when a vacation  was a vacation, when you checked out paper books from the library, and  going out with friends included more time spent in deep conversations  than in checking in and live posting every moment from the evening on  instagram or snapchat. I miss the days when my friends were in my  neighborhood and stopped by for a cup of coffee rather than liking the  picture of my coffee in my social feeds.

As my new year has been starting out, I’ve been contemplating this  paradox. I want to make sure I’m living fully in the real-life present,  and using technology as a tool to capture the memories I want to keep,  rather being captive to them–living tethered to my phone and awarded for  my loyalty with notifications of pavlovian likes.

This year, I will choose to be at my sister’s wedding, rather than  live stream it to Facebook. I will choose to share dinner conversation  with my friends rather than posting the play by play demolition of  our magnificent four course kale salad on instagram.

I will be present in the moments.

I will capture the moments that move me.

I will share memories.

I will not make memories for the sake of sharing.

If you don’t see me online every minute of every day this year, don’t  worry. I haven’t died. It’s just a sign that, I have rather chosen to  live, a little differently.

I hope you will join me. I think we’ll all be a little happier this way.