Today is National Day of Unplugging, from sundown tonight to sundown tomorrow night, a time to unplug from technology, electronics, and social media. So, are you going to unplug? Could you do it? Would you write? And how (charcoal on the wall of a cave, mitten in the snow, quill pen, pencil, fountain pen, ball point, Sharpie)?
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My weekends are generally unplugged anyway – after I’ve had coffee and checked TKZ… ?
Thanks for checking in at TKZ George. Good answer. I couldn’t do without my coffee.
Good morning, Steve. Great question. I, alas, will be plugging in. Best to all observants.
Good morning , Joe. I will be plugging in, too. I wrote this question almost a month ago. We had an electrical outage that lasted over 12 hours after an ice storm about a week ago. I’ve never been so appreciative of plugging in. I guess I already did my unplugging – totally, the whole house.
Have a great plugged in weekend!
I have no problem unplugging from social media. I just wish I could unplug in general. But… work.
Good point, Azali. I woke up in the middle of the night, thinking about this question, and suddenly remembered that I had an old manual typewriter that I took to college with me. I still have it, but I like the delete and retype capabilities of my laptop keyboard. Maybe we should rename this day “Technology Appreciation Day.”
Haha! Yes. I, too have a typewriter, and old Olympia from the ’60s. A friend was using it and 3 bricks to hold down a tarp on his patio table. I have typed a Christmas newsletter on it. It once belonged to my friend’s father, an Astronomy professor I took courses from and served as department secretary in Fall, 1959.
I love to write by hand but rarely do because sooner or later, you gotta transcribe it, and there aren’t enough hours in the day as it is.
Unplugging from tech is hard. I would not unplug from tech on Friday night cuz that’s my chance to listen to the request show on my classic country radio station. Saturday is pretty much the only day I can do any online research. And while on Sunday I do try to dial back, even then I need tech because there’s an east coast church service I love to listen to on livestream early in the morning.
I hate phones so I’m much better at staying away from phones & especially try to do so on Sunday.
And off topic, I wish you could see the totally awesome Arizona sunrise we’re having this morning. I hope I’m never so plugged in to tech that I miss something as awesome as a sunrise or sunset. Have a blessed day, all!
Thanks for your thoughts, BK. I’m with you on the phones. I could unplug from them everyday. Our landline (cable) phone attracts 95% sales calls. And any family that wants to reach us calls my wife.
Glad you had an awesome Arizona sunrise this morning. We had a glorious Ohio sunrise.
Have an awesome weekend!
I unplug every Sunday, with the exception of reading JSB’s post. No social media, no work. It’s not always easy to step away from the manuscript or the course I’m teaching. I have to force myself to close the computer, but I feel it’s an important respite. Unplugging from social media is a breeze, though. I welcome the peace, time away from the nonstop noise of social media.
Happy National Unplug Day!
Good for you, Sue. I should do that once a week, too. I’m always so far behind on my goals that I feel the need to keep working. I’ll remind myself that you’re doing it.
Happy National Unplug Day, too you!
I was the same way, Steve. Working 7 days a week for eight years led to a major crash and burn at the start of year nine. It was a hard lesson to learn, but a necessary one. You’ll actually be more productive when you return to the computer if you take that one day off.
Thanks for the advice!
I had forgotten that today was National Unplug day. I’m unplugging, after a fashion. I’m currently at the Rainforest Writers Retreat in the Olympic peninsula of Washington State. Incredibly scenic here. When the skies cleared early Thursday morning, the heavens were ablaze with stars. We’re supposed to have clearing again tonight and tomorrow.
In the meantime, while I’m not completely unplugging, I’m refraining from social media and email while I’m here. I am writing, a lot, on my iPad and Macbook. I wrote a short story yesterday and started what might turn out to be a novella. Hopefully many more words today and tomorrow.
Also, the very last trip I took was right before the pandemic, to this retreat. It’s been so emotional seeing writer friends again in person for the first time in two years.
Have a great Friday!
Great thoughts, Dale. Isn’t it amazing how inspirational the beauty of nature can be. Sounds like a great retreat. Good luck with the short story and the novella.
Wishing you a great Friday, too!
Good morning, Steve, and Happy Unplugging Day!
What serendipity. I practice unplugging every week from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. (That’s why I’m always late to respond to the Saturday post on TKZ.) No computers, no writing, no running. We do leave one laptop on to zoom into a Bible study on Saturday morning. Other than that, it’s a time for resting, reading, taking walks, maybe eating out. It’s what Abraham Heschel called “a sanctuary in time.”
When the sun drops below the horizon Saturday evening, we fire up the equipment and all the buzzing and beeping starts anew. We’re ready to face a new week.
Good morning, Kay. Great advice. And great that you are doing it every week. No coincidence that the Great Omniscient told us in the Good Book that it would be healthy for all of us.
I think all that “buzzing and beeping” of the electronic equipment firing up would drive me back to the sanctuary of silence. At least until it was done squawking.
Happy weekly unplugging day!
No way. Too many things going on. Too many people need me. I also would have trouble writing since I’m reliant on Google to help me out of my jams.
Good point, Ben. Isn’t it interesting how dependent we’ve become on all the connectivity and information availability. I’ve used Google twice in the last couple hours to check on hospital systems and financial services for my main character. Wouldn’t it be fun to see the amazement of authors from the past if they could be told how quickly and easily we could access information. They would tell us we had it easy.
Business as usual up here in BC, Steve. Enjoy your Ohio day!
Good morning, Garry. How stupid of me. It’s “National” day of unplugging, not international day of unplugging. I couldn’t find it specified anywhere, but I’m guessing it’s not international. Thanks for reminding me that TKZ is an “international” blog site. Maybe I should travel north of the border tonight so that I can get some work done tomorrow.
Doesn’t sound like you’re taking Sue’s advice.
Have a wonderful, productive weekend!
I normally write longhand in the beginning. If I start out typing it sounds like a business letter. Then it gets to a place where I know it’s ready to be typed up. I normally see my beginning and end first, then I fill in.
As far as unplugging, I don’t plug much to begin with. I’d rather be out with the squirrels and birds.
Good afternoon, Cynthia. Your process sounds healthy to me. I hear over and over again how there is something more creative about beginning with pencil or pen. I like to start my brainstorming and mind mapping with pen and paper.
And those squirrels and birds are calling me this afternoon. It’s a good day to get outside.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Yes, I, too, do my brainstorming with pen and paper. A pen-and-ink or pencil draft forces another draft, making a better second draft, I believe.
It’s also National Pound Cake Day. A desktop Mac, a Nook, a TV, and a stupid phone are about it, for me, and only the computer stays on, most of the day. When Mother Nature cuts off all my stuff with a power outage, I miss the computer but nothing else. It’s my connection to the human voice.
Hey, I like that National Pound Cake day. I missed that. I’ll have to tell my wife.
My computer is also my “essential tool.” I was lost with our power outage of only 13 hours about a week ago. I was getting withdrawal by the time the power was back on.
I vote for celebrating National Pound Cake Day.
Have a great weekend!
Unlikely, here, as you can all attest. For good or ill, we’re dependent on all these gizmos and gadgets. I don’t really like it, but here we are. Onward!
Yes, JG, that’s really our only choice. Onward, with an occasional break.
Have a great weekend!
I start my unplugging at about 9am on Sundays. I don’t write, work, blah blah, until Monday morning. Instead, it’s a church fellowship day, cooking day, a dog day, and a man day. Speaking of cooking, making that 9am time a priority has saved my bacon multiple times.
I vote for Pound Cake Day, too. My gramma had an awesome recipe, and sadly, I never learned it.
I hope you all have a safe, restful, productive weekend in whatever you’re doing.
BTW, can anyone tell me how to update my photo here on TKZ?
Hi, Deb. Yes, Sunday is a good day for a day of rest, although it sounds like you may be fairly busy.
As to changing your picture: I’m probably the least qualified person here to give advice. But, when I started posting I was sent to en.gravatar.com I changed my avatar there, and it seemed to spread across all my email accounts, too. It should also work for your avatar here at TKZ.
Have a great weekend!
Okay, I’ll give it a try. Thanks.