I have nearly finished two projects. One crochet and one dressmaking. I’ll be able to share them soon. With the crochet, I’m sewing in the ends. Lots of ends, but I’ve grown to love this stage of the project as much as the actual crocheting. I’ve built up a pile of cut off yarn ends. They are making quite a mountain. Maybe more of a mole hill. Certainly a tangled mess!
Tangled seems to be a theme this week.
Tangled seems to be a theme this week. Not just finding tangled roots of a tree to admire, but life too. I like to think I live a simple life, but even I know I’m fooling myself. I’ve grown to rely on so much that it’s only when it goes AWOL that I wake up to the fact. I do rely on my car. I do rely on my mobile. I do rely on electricity.
For 10 minutes, this week, I was without all three. Not that I knew how long the electricity would be off at the time. The lights went dead. No phones. No internet. My car was in the garage and my mobile had died. I had no way of contacting anyone. What if someone needed me?
What if someone needed me?
It appears that my mobile has been playing up for a few days. I’ve been so busy, I didn’t realize. Happily texting to myself, as it turns out. My phone, email and text has become crucial to the way I run my life. Messages can be sent and picked up when convenient.
The schools use it as a main communication route. I’m running a project with a friend, at the moment. We use text a lot. I also use it to coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs for after school clubs. I don’t like driving without taking my mobile with me. Just in case. Life runs smooth when my phone works.
People were probably texting me and wondering why I wasn’t responding. Or I was missing messages about kit needed for school the next day.
Back to the power cut. Of course, if the school needed to contact urgently, they still had my husband’s number. No bad thing as I couldn’t drive to pick children up. My car was at the garage. It made me realise how much I’ve allowed myself to rely on technology. Don’t get me started on how much I access through my computer. I couldn’t even check the electricity’s web site to see what the status was.
So I took a deep breath, realised I could do nothing and made a cup of tea (thank you, Aga). I sat outside with my crocheting, and watched the sparrows quarrelling on our roof. A noisy mob, indeed.
Tangled. Did people miss me in the 10 minutes? Who knows. Later, now knowing that my phone was dead, I emailed the people I usually text. Turns out they had been concerned by my longer-than-usual silence, but that’s sorted now. I have no idea if the children should have brought in wellies or empty yoghurt pots to school today. I’m sure they will cope.
Will I change anything?
Will I change anything? Probably not. I’d have to opt out and miss out, which is an overreaction. I do have a different perspective. I see how communication makes my life easier. Maybe knowing and understanding is one step towards simplifying it. Untangling myself.
I now see that the sparrows have a far harder time than me, I really have so little to complain about.
Thought I’d bring back my “Here I am” postcode series for Wednesdays. A slice of life.
A wonderful post. You are right we have come to rely on technology so much, but it is integral to our lives now so it is not suprising. I think what is more important is how we cope when we haven’t got it for whatever reason, usually there is little we can do in that case. I think making a cup of tea and sitting in the garden crocheting sounds like the perfect way of waiting for it all to be sorted!
Thank you! So true for many areas of life. It’s not what happens, as much as how we deal with it.
One day I’m going to go cold turkey for a week and see if I can’t cut down on my phone usage. It’s not really a defence but my phone isn’t really the source of my anti-social behaviour of always having it in my hand reading. Before that it was always a book. I was one of those people who would walk down the street and read at the same time if I could get away with it. Now it’s much more socially acceptable ironically I find I’m spending so much more time reading meaningless comments on Facebook. Maybe it’s just Facebook I need to go cold turkey on!
I’m not on Facebook, which would make going cold turkey very easy. I do enjoy sweeping though Instagram while I’m waiting for children to come out of school or after school clubs, so I guess that’s the same. Maybe I do take a book less often, athough in the summer I can sit outside, so I take crocheting or sewing with me more often. It is interesting how technology changes us.
I really do try not to rely on technology, but it has become such a big part of life. I’m glad you are now de-tangling.
It does make life easier, but I think to totally detangle would be self-defeating. I need contingency plans for those just-in-case-it-lets-me-down times.
Do hope your phone gets sorted out soon. I absolutely adore your blankets! They are the prettiest! Wish I could crochet like you 🙂
Thank you. That is such a kind thing to say. Phone sorted now. Thank goodness. I’m sure if I’ve missed anything crucial, someone will tell me.
What a ten minutes! It’s funny how much we do rely on these things yet don’t really realise it. Hope your phone’s OK now and you have a less tangled week next week x Thanks for sharing with #WotW
A sorted now. You are right. The ten minutes was a good reminder.
Sounds a liberating week in many ways – and often it takes for something (or three things) to be missing to realise how big a part they play in our lives doesn’t it? Have a lovely weekend #wotw
Oh totally. It creeps up on you and you really don’t realise until it’s missing. Even just momentarily.
It sure is rather easy to rely on technology. Great to give yourself a break from it too once in a while. #wotw
Yes, I agree.
Its scary and nice that 10 minutes. I can never have a moment without the mobile too esp when my son is in school! I am such a worry wart. But its nice that you made this moment into a thinking moment =) #wotw
Everything is back to normal now. I think it also makes me appreciate how the technology does quietly help me throughout the day, too. I know exactly what you mean about having your mobile with you, in case school calls.