Tuesday 18 May 2010

Spotty Performance

Having had the odd inquiry as to how I am doing, I thought it best that I post something here.

I've not been doing much blogging of late... although I do get around and visit to read others' blogs relatively regularly. I don't always comment, so you probably didn't realize I had popped in for a gander.

Things have taken a bit of an introspective and selfish turn, and the time I am spending outside of work and sleep has taken on a more 'me' focus. I am trying to wean myself off the computer, in other words.

I have found, over the past few years since becoming single, that I spend an inordinate amount of time perched in front of this bright screen, living my life in Cyberspace and not in my own space. It was becoming almost a compulsion, to see who was online and what was happening around the globe. I was on Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and several dating websites. I also have a Windows Live Messenger account that I would log in to. Now, I am very selective about who I contact via the Ethernet, and have never done the 'chatroom' thing ever... but still, this cyberspace surfing was taking over my life.

And I was beginning to see that it was not a good thing. So I have quit Twitter, obviously haven't been in Bloggerland for a bit, and have deleted my profile from the two dating sites I was on.

That was the hardest part... the dating sites... because there was some interesting interaction there on occasion. But that is where the biggest part of my frustration with all things Cybery
comes from. So I've gone cold turkey from those. Whether or not the most recent contact will continue is anyone's guess, because of where he's at in Splitsville, but only time will tell on that. He's knows where I am and has all my contact info...

So you can see why my appearances in Cyberspace have been rather sporadic. I've decided to tone down my dependence on the computer stuff and get more involved in real life. I've been riding my bike, working around the house a bit more (just built a 'pee patch' for the dog, which involved massive amounts of sweat and about three hours of labour to dig out the sod, put down sand and then gravel, so that she won't keep killing the grass), starting an exercise program (if I can get my laptop [it's old...] to play the DVDs, that is... an upgrade to WMP11 is obviously necessary and that will take a while), walking the dog more, reading books (I've been reading the same one since October... that tells you how often I sit and read!) and generally just being in the 'here and now' where I actually live, instead of online.

So I will be around, here and there, now and then... No worries! And if anything of any significance happens, I will be sure to throw something up on here to keep you all informed.

14 comments:

  1. Hello! Yes, I know what you mean. It's not selfish to want to read a book and do other stuff. I spend too much time on here as well. I've decided that I need to give myself a few days off in the week... I'm rarely here at the weekends... cos, well, I need to shop, clean and do a bit of reality.
    It's nice to see you when you do pop up.
    Sx

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  2. I understand you completely. Or completely understand you. Whichever. There is life beyond cyberspace, which my post "The Good Bad Old Days" is all about.

    The other day, my cable connection was down and I almost freaked. All it needed was a modem reset, but it brought home the depth of my addiction. Like Scarlet, I'm detoxing on the weekends.

    The same book since October? Must be a real barn-burner.

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  3. Scarlet: I'm hoping I can manage to keep things more 'real' (aka less cyberspacey) and get into a routine that doesn't require a computer fix every hour or so... Glad to see that you've managed it, so there is hope for me.

    Charlie: Only the same book because I don't sit down much to read. It really is a very good one, but one must open it to read it, no? In the past two weeks, I think I've read more than in the past four months! I'm almost finished... My sister will be glad to get it back, I think.

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  4. I can completely relate, probably a very good move for you. Whatever you do, don't try "Second Life", it can suck you in... believe me.

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  5. Good for you! I need a dose of that myself...

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  6. Robert: "Second Life"? Never heard of it... so perhaps I should keep it that way?

    Andrea: It's killing me, but I am trying to stick to my plan.

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  7. Boy, that's me in a nutshell. Too much time in front of a screen and not enough buried in a book. I was a voracious reader at one point. Then along came an iPod, a netbook, two daughters and, most of all, a blog. There are only so many hours in the day. Thank heavens I don't spend any time at all in front of a TV.

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  8. I'm not turning the computer off. It has allowed me to meet lots of interesting people from all over the world that I would have never otherwise known.

    The validation of that was my trip to Oz where I met up with several of my Internet friends. It was the highlight of the trip actually. Everyone was exactly as I had imagined after having knowing them online.

    Of course, it's not like I have that many things to do in real life. But nothing is being short-changed in real life at the expense of online stuff.

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  9. Hey, I remember you! :¬)

    xxx

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  10. Good for you!

    Sometimes our favorite hobbies take on a life of their own. Go live life...then report back when you have time. :)

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  11. I'm guessing that 10 or 40 years from now I'll be happier if 99% of my life was viewed up close and personal rather than through a computer screen.
    I get it.

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  12. I'm glad you've taken a break to rest and enjoy the other facets of your life. Nothing wrong with keeping a blog open or visiting the internet every now and then. It's all about balance and moderation, just like anything else.

    I do confess to keeping my online life separate from my real world activities--more privacy issue than anything. None of my real world friends know that I've a blog, because I don't want them to know. Blogging is for me, just my private time to enjoy meeting other people who I never see in the real world. I can interact with online friends and enjoy the online life as an enriching, fulfilling, and fascinating experience. It's where I can express ideas and thoughts that somehow are forgotten or subdued in real life because of circumstances and work taking up my time. And there's a camaraderie and sense of adventure that can only be found when interacting with amazing people from all walks of life, all over the world, who you meet and spend time with online.

    I'm with XL, because I do believe I've met some wonderful people here. Blogging/Cyberspace is the new pen pals! It's like writing to far away friends, only using the computer instead of paper and stamps. And I've learned so much from everyone I've met on the net, just as I learn something from people I meet in reality.

    So long as you can find the balance in keeping your online and real world life, you'll be fine. In fact, there was study released recently that found that people who have access to computers/internet are happier and feel more empowered, because they are reaching out across the globe and meeting people they never would otherwise meet in real life because they don't have the means or due to geographic barriers.

    If you can balance your online life and real life without letting either take over or stress you out, you'll be fine. In fact, I dare say you're life will be richer for having all these new experiences and for learning new things about yourself and the world around you.

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  13. i think you have a good perspective, but it is still fun to keep a toe or so dipped in the mire that is cyber life (there are some lovely people out there). Good luck with the dating thing .. if it takes off again x

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  14. If you feel it's time to re-balance your life, if you feel that you need to experience the world away from the PC a little more, then you're absolutely right!

    It is certainly easy for this cyber-world to take over and for all that it can be rewarding it shouldn't be everything :-)

    I hope you achieve the various objectives you're setting yourself and get a great deal of pleasure out of each and every one of them. And I hope that, every now and then, you'll pop up somewhere or other to tell us that you're enjoying them!

    Bon chance :-)

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