They happen so rarely... those nights when you rediscover a friendship. Jared and I have been pretty good friends for a while now, and although we hang out frequently, tonight was a different kind of night.
I feel like technology has completely hindered so many areas of my life in recent years. At a time when I used to pick up a good book, I peruse Facebook and Youtube... time that I at one time used to focus on my studies, I now use watch a movie. It's a consistent pattern - and a consistently bad one. It's hard to remember when it all happened... when technology went from a helpful tool to a complete addiction. It's not like it happened suddenly - I didn't suddenly start spending all this time on meaningless and petty activities. But somewhere along the way, what began as an occasional pasttime turned into a daily activity.
When I was younger, I always resented my parents for the way they did things. As other kids played videogames and ran around aimlessly, I was forced to read a half hour each day to increase my reading and comprehension skills. While other children excitedly plopped themselves down in front of the TV for an hour of their favorite cartoons, I didn't even have cable. At the time, I didn't see my parents' reasoning. I thought they were being extremist, difficult, and stubborn. Years later, however, I wholeheartedly appreciate the way I was raised. I've been taught to appreciate art, literature, music, other cultures, and trying new things, and I'm entirely grateful for the ability to experience that. I miss the days when I could sit holed up in my room for an entire day reading a good book, when I didn't need a million mindless activities to keep me entertained.
Tonight reminded me of just how much I miss that.
After a fantastic meal at Tokyo Diner and dessert at Panera with Jaclyn and Olivia, Jared and I decided to run to Borders. We spent around 45 minutes perusing the aisles, occasionally commenting on interesting titles and recommending good reads to each other. I was thrilled that I actually bought two books, because although I'm absolutely in love with bookstores, I can't remember the last time I read a book not for school, let alone the last time I actually bought one.As cliche as it sounds, it reminded me of simpler times. Times when I didn't constantly need my laptop or cell phone or TV or gaming system to talk to friends and enjoy their company. It felt nice to finally hang out with someone without technology, discussing something besides the last episode of our favorite shows or the latest school gossip. And as much as I love singing along to the radio in the car like a five year old, turning the radio off for once and discussing our favorite literature and writers was refreshing.
I'm going to attempt to shy away from technology in the coming weeks; I honestly don't know how successful I'll be, but I'm anticipating putting the time I normally use to mindlessly surf the web to better use.
