It's funny how attached I am. Almost held hostage by it. It's the first thing that captures my attention in the morning and the last thing I tuck in at night. We share a lot of memories together and with this device I capture great "candids" of my family and pose them just perfectly for Facebook. I collage and create memories sometimes forgetting to enjoy the moment and memory itself. I take video of my kids playing soccer and watch through the screen of my phone when they score the winning goal. I considerately answer emails and respond to text messages quickly so I sometimes zone in and out of the conversation going on around me. I post witty comments on Facebook, text a buddy in need, and go years without hearing the voice of some I interact with regularly. I read books, articles, the bible, and have all the information I need ready for me in a Google search so I don't really need to go to a library and explore, search, and seek like I did as a child. I use this device for everything and it holds thousands of pictures, videos, conversations, and contacts that are precious to me.
Truth is, my phone is a part of me and without it I can't capture memories and video of fun things that will happen on our trip. I can't tweet the crazy things Lily says and I can't look at my newsfeed when I'm waiting for dinner at the restaurant. I thought my phone allowed me to experience so many things and archive so many memories but after spending some time apart, I became aware I have a problem. In my desire to share and store memories, I miss the moment right in front of me completely. It was as if the world was fuzzy and I put on a new pair of glasses. I saw the memories and lived th moment partially before as my desire to archive and share cut the moment short and robbed me of the opportunity for what would happen next.
When I was a kid we would get this orange cone shaped ice cream from the ice cream man and at the bottom of each cone was a gum ball. I was so excited that after I finished my sweet treat, I would get a bonus sugar rush. I think sometimes we are so excited about the sweet memories we are making that we quickly have to capture, edit, and create them so we can tweet, share or Instagram for all to see. We cut the moment short and we miss out on the bonus sugar rush that naturally follows the memory where we would have an opportunity to encourage or a face to face interaction that could make a difference.
So dear friends I'm going to try hard to not cut the moment short and archive less memories. I might not have as many candid pictures, but I do have parking passes and souvenir cups that take my mind back to the moments I will treasure from our family trip. I am going to make every attempt to be in every conversation fully, every moment entirely, and let every person I interact with face to face know they matter more than my mobile device.
My phone has held me hostage and I feel like I have missed a lot of opportunities and cut memories short in my life. I'm thankful I left it at home and thankful I have new perspective on how to balance my life. My cell phone is a valuable resource to me, but my addiction to its utilities can rob me of seeing things with my own eyes, fully listening to a conversation, and allowing my children to be the last ones I tuck in at night.
May we all seek balance and prioritize what's truly important in life as we celebrate each unique moment everyday for its possibilities. May we see the world clearly with our own eyes and not settle for watching our children's accomplishments on the screen of our chosen device. May we love each moment to its fullest and be present for the bonus sugar rush that inevitably follows each sweet memory.
Thank you Father for all the moments you give and memories you allow me to make. I will value them more than I value my status update.
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