Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Still Mindful, just quiet and dirty, and healing.

Over the past week we have had several interesting and sometimes dramatic and tearful talks with our big kids about the role of media in our lives.  Being 'wired' as we are, because of my husband's job as a computer programmer (and his love of Apple products), we do have our share of media toys: computers, ipad, ipod, iphone.  However, from the time that they were small, we have limited our children's exposure and time with these devices.  We do not have a functional television.  Although, as my three-year-old keeps reminding me, we do have a TV--a giant, state of the art (for 20 years ago) beastie of a thing that we let go of, and it came back to us, much like a boomerang. I think we're keeping it around for a take-apart project.  It sits in the office/library, the elephant in the corner, mostly off, or sometimes with photos cycling through of all of our adventures together, so that the children can comment on how crappy the resolution is.  When we watch movies, it's usually on my laptop, propped on the piano bench in the living room.  And until the last couple of years, movie watching was pretty rare, too.
However, things are changing.  Oh, they are changing.  Bodies are changing, skin is changing, attitudes are changing, and the desire to watch more stuff on screens is growing, especially as our previously homeschooled children come in contact with 'the real world', public school, and friends who often have grown up with screens being an ever-present part of their lives--who can't even imagine a home without a TV (that works).
There are things we love about our access to media--we watched an awesome TEDtalk tonight:
Boyd Varty talks about Ubuntu
Last week, during Hanukkah we FaceTimed with our friend while she read us The Channukah Guest and we ate latkes.  Gosh, that was lovely.
And then, there are the things we don't like--Mama gets sucked in, friends come over with their new toys and children forget that there were ever craft projects, or imaginative play, or building projects or anything, besides "The Glowing Rock" so called after another of our beloved books, The Wretched Stone, By Chris Van Allsburg
Sigh.  We knew this day would come eventually, and here it is.  We haven't had many struggles with media, and now we are.  Welcome to the club, huh?
In the interest of integrity, I  unplugged for a few days, just felt what it was like to not be constantly looking at my phone (why?) and removed my computer from the kitchen, pulled out some of my many homemade gift projects and spent time just being.  It was refreshing.
And then, the pipes froze and we had no water for 2 days.  Wow!  That'll make you appreciate water.  I am aware that many people spend much of their day in the acquiring of water.  In order to actually have any water, all I had to do was drive to the store and fill up my big 3 gallon bottle.  I did not have to walk for miles and carry the water by myself.  Oh water, how much I take you for granted!  
I also tend to take my family's and my own health for granted.  As several loved ones fight much bigger health battles this winter, our little flu bug hardly seems worth mentioning.  However, when it's bad enough to put folks in bed or on the couch for days, it certainly makes me realize how seldom we are sick.  More garlic, more elderberry, more tea, more essential oil, and more enjoyment of this healthy life--to these things, I raise my glass (of cider vinegar infused water!).

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