Heather Unplugged

Well, it's been four months (yikes!) since my last blog. Funny...it doesn't seem that long! I know that in the past I've promised to blog more, but this time, I'm not terribly bothered by the fact that it's been so long since my last post.

Don't be misled; I certainly have a desire to be connected with my friends and family, giving little updates and sharing my latest thoughts. From a more personal standpoint, I also look on writing as the first hobby I would take up if I made the time for it. And in the past, I've felt guilty for both those reasons that I haven't blogged more. However, my perspective has recently changed.

It all started the day we left for Atlanta. Some dear friends of ours (the Hochschilds, who are always seeming to make it into my blogs or podcasts one way or another) gave us a wonderful parting gift: a book. Now, I've given and received many a book, and my reading list is as long as the next person's. But something about the thoughtfulness of this particular selection, and also the topic which its title suggested, made it a book Joel and I vowed to dive into as soon as possible.

I really, really enjoy reading, and it's one pastime that is easily worked into a nursing mother's life (well, one with no older children, anyway!). I plow through books these days. I'm usually reading a few at one time: one for morning prayer, one for praying in the afternoon, one for some lighter spiritual reading, and something religiously unrelated - usually about marriage or children. I've read a lot of books since Lucia was born, and it brings me a lot of joy.

I also like reading books with Joel. It's something we've done since we first got married (literally— we read books on the way to our honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains!), and a "together activity" that we both really value. This book, "The Restoration of Christian Culture", was definitely a "read together" book.

This book, written by John Senior (whom I had not previously heard of), is very challenging. Senior is quite radical by the world's standards, and completely unapologetic about his views (although never abrasive). The book is based on a number of lectures he has given, so it isn't always terribly easy to read, but the content is so refreshing and challenging that it's well worth it.

I won't go into all the topics the book covers here, but the reason I mention it is because Senior recommends a turning away from technology and a turning back to the simple. Away from computers, televisions, and dishwashers...and towards pianos, fireplaces, and the outdoors. Although I could write an entire (very long) blog just explaining the philosophy behind it, I'll just say that Senior's thoughts have motivated me to use the computer less than I previously have.

Not that I used the computer terribly much before...but this book made me realize that my attention during the day needs to be primarily focused on God, my husband, and Lucia; not on the various frivolities that exist in abundance on the internet. Certainly it could be argued that there are justified reasons for using computers and the internet—I'm not debating that (in this blog, anyway). But I have noticed that sometimes, my being on the internet caused me to pay less attention to Lucia, pray less, ignore the housework, or put off a favor Joel asked of me. Reading "Restoration" (as we affectionately call it now) has helped me to see that I need to put God and others before myself, and people before things, in a very radical way.

So, I have since made a change—I use the computer quite sparingly while Lucia is awake, if ever; when she's napping, I sometimes connect to the internet, but not to the exclusion of more pressing tasks. In fact, this blog has seen innumerable interruptions—I started writing it over two months ago! But it's worth it—my conscience is much more at peace since I've listened to God's voice speaking to me through this wonderful book.

As a result, I want to be sensitive to any of you out there who feel God may be calling them to less computer time and more time in "the real world". It may sound strange, but I'd like to invite anyone who would rather receive my blogs by U.S. mail to send me their address via e-mail. What's the difference between reading it on a computer and reading it on a piece of paper? Well, if spending too much time on computers is a temptation for you, there's less of a temptation to surf around if you limit the websites visited. Also, you can take a piece of paper with you anywhere, such as outdoors on a walk or in front of your fireplace! Plus, if the philosophy Kurt Vonnegut applies, the U.S. Postal Service is one of the best inventions in the world, because it requires one to actually get up and go out of one's house almost daily to get the mail.

Which brings me to my last point. With all this talk of less computers, I have to confess that I honestly believe that I will be blogging more! With the release of Joel's new CD and the launch of his new website www.joelsteinmusic.com¹, I'm hoping to post a blog about every week. If you'd like to receive my writings by mail, I'll plan to send a digest out once a month. I'm not sure if John Senior would approve, but I want to use this blog as a way to cultivate my writing hobby and talk about things that are meaningful to me, as well as hear your thoughts in the comments below. Besides, I'll still be faithful to my new principles. God willing, someday, I'll write a book of my own.