Unplugging.
A word with many definitions.
It might mean unplugging your phone charger from the wall as you hurry out the door to work, or unplugging your tv because the power went out and you need to reset it.
Today, it also means taking a break from technology.
How am I supposed to do that, you might ask? I need to be available for work; my friend might text me; I need to check my email.
When was the last time you were away from your phone?
When was the last time you went to the movies and put your phone on silent?
These days, do you even put your phone away on an airplane with the invention of airplane mode and WiFi available onboard?
The answer to most of those questions is probably the same for most people (myself included!). It’s been a long time since we’ve intentionally put away our devices.
Why do you need to unplug?
And what do you think would happen if you did?
Miraculous things.
How do I know?
I’ve tried it.
When I sit on BART (subway/underground) for my daily commute and take a minute to look out the window instead of scrolling through my Instagram feed, do you know what I see?
Color.
It’s a different color than what I see on my phone when I’m looking at someone’s pictures of the Color Factory on Facebook or the beautiful picture of the sunset on Snapchat. Sometimes I see the sunrise or the sunset in real life. And it’s stunning.
I look around the train car and see the different expressions on the faces of the people. Some look tired already, others are sleeping, still others are reading.
I look at my hands and notice my nails have gotten long. Someone else has written their name in black sharpie on the seat in front of me. The floor of the train car is worn from passengers traveling on and off to their various destinations, each with their own story and their own journey.
So what happens when I put away my device?
I see the world with different eyes.
I come outside of myself and present a willingness to interact with people around me.
And because of this, because I took a chance to make small talk with someone here or there, I’ve had some incredible conversations about life: the meaning of being inclusive, I’ve heard the journeys of people battling mental illness, befriended another who was new to the city.
You see, unplugging isn’t just something you should do for you. Unplugging is something we should do for the people around us.
You never know who might need the smile of a friendly face or what it might mean to another to say hello and ask how their day is going.
So that text message, can it wait?
Your work phone, can you silence it for a while?
Your social media feeds, do they need you right now?
Let’s redefine what it means to unplug. Let’s live in the present, be in the moment.
Why do we need to unplug? Because we need each other, friend and stranger.
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