Thursday, August 19, 2010

An update seems appropriate

Since I last posted, I have moved to Philadelphia! I am deep in Yankee territory, but trying to blend in. (Side note: The best way to blend in here is to adopt a semi-hostile attitude towards anyone who may walk within 10 feet of you. This aggression should double when driving.)

I am presently subletting a basement apartment that consists of a room and a bathroom. There is no kitchen, but I have a mini-fridge and a microwave and have fully (re)embraced dormitory-styled cuisine. In college, I dreamed of publishing a Ramen Noodle cookbook. I have about a dozen recipes featuring this $.10 microwavable noodle as the main ingredient. The dream is still alive!

I don't get cell phone reception in my basement and sometimes I can't get a wi-fi signal. I don't own a television, so frequently the only thing to do in my apartment is lay on my cot (Did I mention I don't have a bed?) or read a magazine. Some have noted the prison-like nature of my new sublet. Here's what I have to say to that: Even prisoners have cable.

In all seriousness, I have settled into the quiet isolation of it, and am actually enjoying the long quiet hours alone with my thoughts and a book. After shutting out all of the noise, I can finally hear my own creative voice. I have ideas again, enjoy books again, feel like blogging again!

This video has been floating around the internet, and it really hit my browser at an interesting time in my own life:



Honestly, I forgot how much I enjoy being alone. And by alone, I mean alone with my thoughts. Not alone with my television, or alone in the car listening to the radio, or alone watching Hulu or surfing the internet. We spend so much of our day with our minds set to "download". We are constantly taking in information and entertainment; always stimulating our brains.

It's amazing what happens when you stop absorbing, flip the switch, and let your mind create, pour out, generate it's own interesting information. I wonder how much creativity has been lost in recent generations, simply for the fact that we never give our own minds a chance to speak. We're too busy cramming ourselves full; interrupting our own thoughts with junk.

I've really relaxed into the silence of my own apartment, and was just starting to think, "This is how I want to live..." when Anthony sent me this article on modern homesteading. As soon as I read about this family, I instantly had one of those falling-in-love, yes-yes-yes, "this is me" moments. I love the idea of picking and choosing your modern conveniences. I love the internet, I hate television and fast food. What a luxury that we can choose the best parts of both worlds.

More to come... Have an interview I need to get to.

1 comment:

Lara said...

Wow. Very well put. As a teacher, I think you have a very valid point about the recent generations. "constantly on download" describes my high school students perfectly. And when asked to sit quietly and produce something, there is much resistance.

Good luck at the interview!