Clouds

This week I was reminded of how important and influential music can be in our lives. I, myself, go through phases of listening to music a lot and rarely listening to any at all. But music never fails to convey a certain type of powerful emotion to me whenever I do listen. For the past two years or so, any time I have listened to Twenty One Pilots I think of my family back home. And it never ceases to amaze me how I can feel how I felt when I would listen to TOP with my family. Music is amazing that way!

This week in my media class we devoted a whole class period to discussing music. That class served as a reminder for how strong and powerful music can be. We were asked to think about a song that describes us at the end of class, and while I couldn't really think of a perfect song for that difficult question, it really made me want to listen to an old favorite of mine called Clouds by Zach Sobiech. I think I kept thinking of this one because I wish my life was more a reflection of this song than it actually is. Clouds is a bit of tear jerker for me sometimes because of the incredible reason this song came about....

In 2009 Zach, an incredible young man, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. While he tried to fight the cancer for many years, in 2012 it was found in his lungs and pelvis. Zach was told he had a few months left to live. In that time, he pursued a dream of his to write a song, and with the help of several musicians, was able to produce one. He passed away on May 20, 2013 but left behind an amazing legacy and an extremely powerful and uplifting song. If you haven't heard Clouds, take this opportunity to do so now. The first is the original version he produced and the second is one my favorites as thousands of people gathered a year after he originally released the song to sing it in his memory.

Maybe this song can be as inspirational for you as it is for me!

Netflix.

I think in the first few weeks of this semester I went a little overboard with my Netflix watching. And I wasn’t really focusing on some things that I should have been. For example, I could have been doing homework. Or, our new apartment is quite the mess. We are still living out of suitcases and boxes! I definitely could have worked on that instead of watching a show. Anyways, on Monday of this week I set a goal to significantly lessen my Netflix time.  And, with all the times I thought of maybe watching an episode of NCIS, I started to wonder why I want Netflix on so frequently. What drives my desire to partake of this media?

I feel like a big part of my love for movies and television shows is my love for stories. I’ve always loved stories—any kind, really. Whether in the shape of books, movies, shows, plays, or musicals, I have always loved stories. I just get engrossed into the plot so quickly, and then I have a need to know what will happen. I’m one of those terrible people that pester others that have seen it or read it to tell me how it ends. Or, these days, I sometimes Google it. So there’s that factor (my huge love for stories).

Side Note:

{Because I loved stories, I used to read. All the time. I would start a book, and then I couldn’t force myself to put it down until I was done. However, knowing what a temptation and what a distraction books are for me, I decided to avoid pleasure reading when I came to college. And I have, quite remarkably, stuck to that decision for the past three years. But perhaps I replaced my reading urges with Netflix? It feels like that sometimes. Maybe I watch even more than I read because it is so much easier to excuse (“An episode is only 45 minutes!” kind of deal).}

But, back to why I have these urges. I think it ultimately comes down to wanting a distraction. I am a terrible procrastinator. And I am not very proud of that fact. But, it is true. If I can push something off until the last minute, I probably will. And Netflix had become my distraction. It used to be books in high school, but they have been replaced, for the time being, with good ol’ Netflix. I can just get sucked into a story and forget about the looming tasks ahead of me. Not really a good reason to be watching Netflix so much, but, alas, I feel like that is probably the root of my why.

That’s it for now, folks.

My Tragedy

A week ago today, I took a 24 hour "fast" from media, which basically meant not using my phone and laptop or listening to music (Unless it was necessary for schoolwork). However, a week before that I lost my phone on a rollercoaster. And, to be honest, I treated it like a tragedy. So, by the time I got to the "fast" I felt like I had been on one for a week already! I just wanted to share how my week without a phone has impacted me, even a week later.

For the past week I had gone without things I have grown extremely accustomed to. The loss of conveniences I normally wouldn't even think about such as an alarm clock in the morning, the convenience of quick access to the time (especially when traveling to campus to see if I was on time for classes), looking up directions, or having contact with my husband or my family were keenly felt. Although these things were all inconvenient, I woke up and made it to classes on time, I didn’t get lost (mostly because I just didn’t go anywhere new), and I survived not having immediate contact with people rather than face to face contact or Skype calls with my family.

However, there was a part I actually enjoyed about not having a phone: the release from the constant “need” or impulse to be on my phone to check social media or to just be “doing something.” I was honestly surprised by how often I wanted to pull my (non existent) phone out, even if it was just because I had one minute of nothing. One minute. Did I really need to check the same social media feed I had scrolled through 15 minutes ago? No.

Becoming self-aware of this habit I had developed was very enlightening. And it also made me aware of how addicted our society is to not having something to entertain us. So many of us feel like we have to have an immediate back up plan if there is a moment of boredom. What happened to creative daydreaming? To critical thinking? To observations? So many of us have become so absorbed into our phones that we don’t always take the time to enjoy nothing. To enjoy our own thoughts. To enjoy boredom.

By day 3 of no phone, I was becoming annoyed at how often everyone else used their own phones. It wasn’t really a jealousy thing…it was more of a “look up at the world,” “listen to the speaker in church, not Facebook,” or “Hi, I’m here to be with you. Do you want to actually converse with me? Or maybe just look at that picture of a person in Ohio instead. That works too.” I sound a little bitter, but not having a phone to suck my own attention made me realize how little we pay attention to others that are actually around us. Instead we focus our attention on the lives of our friends online. Social media is quite often a great thing, but moderation in all things is a good motto to live by and especially to apply to social media as well.

And now, even though I am once again in possession of a phone, I still think about what I learned from my experience without one. I will admit that I quickly slipped back into my old habits with my phone, but now I try to slow down a bit and enjoy the real world and real people around me. Living without time, without the constant desire to check Facebook, and with actual conversations was freeing. While I am not necessarily in “bondage” I have realized that maybe, just maybe, I am way too attached to some media. And life without quite so much media (specially on the phone) can be just as good and fulfilling as my currently phone filled life, if not more so.

That's it for now, folks.