0 100% tech free

A couple days ago, I read a column in the paper (yes, the actual paper- I still receive and read such an archaic item) about the saving grace of furlough days. The author was overworked before he had furlough days forced upon him. He didn't appreciate the decrease in pay. However, he ended up using his furlough Fridays to take his family on 3-day camping trips

around the region. The conclusion of this column was the author proclaiming the value of that time with his family was invaluable and he wouldn't take the pay back if he could. In fact, he touts the necessity of taking (unpaid) time out more often than we work-addicted Americans are wont to do.

I, of course, agree with him. When it comes down to it, I don't think there is a price tag for family time. Of course, I am a teacher and I receive many more weeks of vacation per year than the average American, so this is pretty easy for me to say. But, think about this: would you take less pay to have more family time? Not sit-on-the-couch-and-watch-reality-tv family time, but real, quality family time? Without a phone or computer or connection to the rest of the world?

Honestly, would you?

If I didn't already enjoy 9 weeks a year of vacation time, I think I would. As I was reminded on our recent technology-free vacation, the time I spent just being with my two favorite people was refreshing and affirming.

Witness:

We went cold turkey on vacation. No phone, no email, no Facebook (I know, GASP!). The first day, I didn't know what to do with my hands while Barkernews drove. The second day, I thought about my phone once or twice. The third day, I didn't care. I was having a splendid time and everything I needed was right there. I could feel my entire body relax despite spending hours in the car, hours on the trail and sleeping on the ground. Hazel got real, quality attention. Barkernews got real, quality attention.

It was a big shift for our family from go go go go, keep going, go, go go some more to well, what's here now is what's going on. Without technology, we quit caring what time it was or where everyone else was. It was all about us.

Then, when we came home, I had hundreds of emails in my inbox and 25 voice mail messages. I didn't really want to read or respond to any of them. It all seemed so busy and overwhelming. And pointless.

In the real world, those things aren't pointless. I know that. I am not a hippy who grows her own food, cans her own vegetables or makes her own clothes and lives off of the grid. Yeah, the world kept spinning while we were gone, but the three of us just spun around each other and that's what mattered the most.

It was difficult to accept the reality that it doesn't work that when we're not on vacation. So we returned to our tech-addicted ways, but with a goal: More weekends without the ubiquitous phones or computers. We'll be out of touch every now and then. And it will be awesome.