Lent 2013: No Facebook and No Television for Lent

2013 Lenten Practice:

No Facebook and No TV.

 (at home)

The point of this, is to get rid of unnecessary electronic time suck's in my life. Entertainment just seems like work these days and is replacing human interaction by watering down or distracting from the intentionality and quality of communication. both with my friends and my marriage at home. More on this experience later.
-John

Day 1. Weds 4:51 pm: I'm still using my computer to check email, chat with maria and the like. just no Facebook. I actually put my account on hold so it no longer appears on Facebook. within a matter of hours on wednesday morning I'm finding myself accidentally ending up on the Facebook login page. It never occurred to me how often (and clearly without thinking) I just type in the Facebook url and go to the website without even thinking. it's become automatic I don't even think about it, I just go there. I never realized that before.... that is until i gave up FB for lent and keep "randomly" finding myself staring at the login screen for a page that no longer exists. It's actually pretty creepy.

On another note I keep thinking "oh I have this really funny remark to make that my friends might find funny, I should post it on Facebook"   ...oh wait, I no longer have an account because I gave it up. NERTS!

"But people won't here my funny comment!"   and I realize....posting on FB is much like preaching to a mostly empty church... the only people paying attention are the ones already in agreement with your views    Then the monologue in my head begins: Your FB friends really don't need your comment anyhow, you're not really that funny to begin with, and the world will continue to turn without your stupid comment just like it did before 2005 when you got your FB account in the first place.

Lack of FB makes me realize how self important I've become in my "need to share my opinion, less people miss out on it."  Good gawd, what a "tool" I've become!


Weds. 8:30 pm:   I really missed TV today. Not so much in the middle of the day or even right now at night as I have plenty of chores, childcare and reading to occupy myself with. But MAN my desire for TV was most apparent this morning when I was making my breakfast and coffee. I sat down on the couch to eat my breakfast and coffee with the baby as I usually do..... but it was DEAD SILENT in the room.  I like hearing the news on the Today show as I'm still waking up with that first coffee and getting dressed and ready for my day. Im guessing the lack of TV first thing in the morning will be a more noticeable loss than no TV during the rest of the day.

This lenten "loss" is already making me very aware of my own unexamined behaviors and dependencies.

On that note, I am logging off for the remainder of this lent as I'm guessing any further thoughts and experiences I have, will simply be "more of the same." ...And that's okay.