30th
Deprivation: Day Seven
Consider it delayed gratification.
One of the most profound differences between being constantly connected and not is the ability to make connections, coordinate, and make near-spontaneous plans on the fly. Absent a phone, text messaging and email, my life has become decidedly 1970s in approach.
Today’s example: work related, after hours happy hour. Typical. Went to local watering hole. Met up with the usual cast of characters. But as things were winding down, I realized the usual habit of checking in with the extended social circle of others who may also be out-and-about simply wasn’t an option.
I would have needed to make those plans in advance. And thinking about it, I can’t recall a situation in recent memory where I thought, ok—I’ll stay at this social gathering exactly 80 minutes, so I can meet up with that other group I want to connect with at exactly whatever-o-clock. We don’t make plans that way in the 21st Century. In fact, one never really knows who might be out-and-about. Or where they are. We don’t have to ask until the spirit moves us. And when it does, nearly immediate gratification for that spirit is not far behind.
So my evening had an abrupt end and I went home. I likely would have done that anyway, but it wasn’t until the next morning that I knew I missed an important opportunity to connect with others.
