I Wouldn't be a Good Amish Person

Suddenly, I feel completely disconnected and alone. Something feels dead. Well, at least I don’t smell anything dead, so that’s a plus I suppose. Nothing is sizzling, there are no sparks. There is also a light that is lacking…the DSL and Internet light on the modem. Unplugging, resetting, powering down and a few curse words later, I swallowed my pride for being able to fix most things and pulled out that 1-800 number that would connect me to who-knows-where.

After being stuck in voice prompt hell (seriously, I speak quite clearly and the mechanical voice still greeted me with an, “I’m sorry, I did not catch that.” How do people with thick accents use the voice prompt? Oh, but I digress.) for what seemed like eons, I was able to speak with a person…a REAL LIVE PERSON! After she gave me the equivalent of verbal water boarding, verifying my pertinent (and not so pertinent) information, she walked me through the same steps I had done prior to calling. While I understand that not everyone is familiar with the process of troubleshooting, sometimes it irks me to think that there are people out there who don’t know to CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT’S PLUGGED IN. Good grief. I am just glad that I don’t have one of those Jetsons phones or she would have seen the eye rolling I was doing while listening to her instruction (I also may have done a jerking off motion as well).

Upon following her umpteenth request, we determined that I would need a technician to come out and inspect my internet connection. Swell. I wonder how soon I could be graced with such a wonderful person to come and make the technology work that makes everything come alive at my fingertips, let alone the source of my joy via music which streams through my Roku box. As I held my breath, mind hopeful, the lovely representative asked if I would be available on Tuesday morning…two whole days away. Well, I suppose I should be glad that it was within this Century. So, now I have a four hour window in which I hope to have a technician arrive and magically fix my internet. What other type of profession has the four hour window for appointments? At least I have the first one of the day, so hopefully they won’t be too backed up and will be able to get to me before I go mad, er, madder than I am already.

Last time this happened, back in January, I went through the same steps and they did a force reset on their side, making the light glow a bright and beautiful green, which was short lived and intermittent. However, upon awaking the next morning…ABRACADABRA it was fixed, as if by magic. So, I am hoping that will happen this time as well.

It is interesting to examine the feelings I had at the time when I realized that I was without my source of connection to the outside World. The house seemed to be too quiet, there seemed to be an almost crushing feeling in my chest and I felt close to weeping. For what…not having internet? It’s not like I was given a terminal diagnosis, received news that a family member was missing, or that I was fired...but rather I had to go without internet for a couple of days. And with a laptop, I am able to obtain access at my local library, so I am not completely without a connection to the vast wealth of knowledge (both useful and useless).

But, the grief and sense of loss I felt at that time made me ponder. Yes, I am writing a blog entry, which will be posted (one way or another) online, but it did make me wonder; are we, as a society, addicted to the internet? Sure, there is a plethora of knowledge at our fingertips, but have we lost the ability to think for ourselves, find entertainment in offline things? The current generation is bombarded with all sorts of things to keep them occupied, from handheld video game systems to DVD players that are installed in vehicles. What happened to the old times of playing outside, climbing trees, digging in dirt and even rousing card games such as Go Fish, Old Maid and who can forget…I Spy with my Little Eye?!?! Games which required us to use our imagination, a sense of adventure, a way for us to learn more about each other by, gasp…talking.

While I do appreciate the wonderfulness that is the internet, as it has assisted me greatly as I pursued my college coursework and has facilitated in conversing with a wide assortment of individuals, I still wonder if we rely too heavily on technology. Would we all benefit in unplugging on occasion? If the mere thought of doing such causes tightness in your chest and your mind to race, perhaps it would be worth a try.

I am not advocating a total disconnection, but rather a trial vacation of sorts. A couple months ago, I decided to cancel my subscription to satellite television. Yes, I am one of “those” people now, and frankly, I don’t miss it. Sure, at first, I did experience a little bit of a shock, and while I am not completely without some of my favorites (NCIS, Criminal Minds, and The Daily Show to name a few) thanks to Hulu Plus and streaming online, I am glad that I made the choice.

Don’t get me wrong, technology is a wonderful thing, as I was able to be comforted by the sounds of TOOL and Mazzy Star as their wonderful melodies emitted from an iPod docking station, while typing on my laptop and texting a charming person (thank you bunches and bunches love…I adore you), it may be nice to make a conscious effort to unplug and recharge. Now, let’s hope the internet service is repaired soon!