Try obeying this for a day!
Ahhh, Sunday morning. This was a different sort of Sunday for Shauna and I. See, we have been on this journey to live more simply, more peacefully, less hurry-hurry, bizzy-bizzy (yes, I do know how to spell), less multi-tasked and ultra-productive. To that end, we made two big decisions in the last 24 hours.
- Turn off our cell phones (and only phones) at 8 p.m. every night. See my “Cement Running Shoes” blog for some background on this decision.
- One day a week, live cell-phone-free. The dumb things can just stay off all day long.
Sunday was our day without plans, and our day without cellphones. A day wide open, to do whatever we wanted. This is the day of the week where I usually don’t run or do a workout. We get out, have active fun, and do human-powered stuff. Here’s how it went.
Slept in just a bit, then made some fabulous (vegan) multi-grain blueberry pancakes. We took our dog Romero and went for a hike in the foothills of Santa Barbara. I’m more of an exploratory hiker, so I’m always up for taking some unknown trail to see where it goes. This day, it would take us UP. We started by following a stream bed, but it was dried up, so we followed another trail. Steep climbs, lots of sweat, scrambling over boulders, maneuvering around trees, more sweat, . . . and did I mention lots of sweating?
I realized when we hit a sheer rock face, where the trail was no longer doable for our dog, exactly where we were headed. Up to Cathedral Peak, the toughest hike/climb in our foothills, and definitely not a hike for our dog. We headed back down, making a date for next weekend to ascend this fabulous peak.
We had lunch at our absolute favorite lunch spot – HOME. I’m serious. Homemade food is always my favorite. ALWAYS. I love knowing everything that goes into making my food. And let’s face it, a stranger just isn’t going to care about your health like you will. For restaurants, the bottom line is profit, plain and simple. After enjoying every single bite of my current lunch favorite (an open-faced toasted whole grain bagel, topped with my cashew cream cheese, basil pesto, tomatoes, peppadews, and broccoli), it was time for some gardening.
This seem like a chore to some, but not to me. It’s physical. It’s providing for ourselves. It’s creative. It’s exciting. Don’t laugh! I’m serious. We pulled our first leek yesterday and I was thrilled. Another strawberry was ripe and a perfect treat. Just pulled it right off the bush and popped it in our mouths. Thrilling! There’s something amazing about growing your own food. And there’s something about getting your hands dirty, being one with nature and the process of life.
And there’s the whole Gandhi aspect. What does Gandhi have to do wtih gardening? He had these 11 Vows he lived by. One was Sharirshrama or Bread Labor. Basically it means that we should all perform useful physical labor every single day. Some even say that it means that if you don’t perform such work, you haven’t the right to eat. Interesting idea. It would certainly make us all healthier, more helpful, and definitely more appreciative of what it takes for the food we eat to end up on our plates.
After getting sweaty and dirty in the garden, I hit the shower. Then onto our bikes we hopped and rode downtown to catch a movie.
It was a great day. It was an active day. It was a weird day. I kept feeling like I was forgetting something by leaving my cell phone behind. I found myself thinking certain noises in the background were my phone. I felt almost guilty having it off. Not that I get many phone calls at all. I don’t. It’s just that I have this overdeveloped sense of . . . responsibility. That I always have to be “there” for whatever it is I feel might happen. Dumb idea. I obviously have some issues to work through on this subject. I want to go through a Cellphone Free Day without thinking about it at all. Just enjoying the peace.
As I recall, back in the B.C. days – “Before Cellphones” – we all somehow got along without being constantly connected, constantly available. Actually life was just fine without all those phone calls and apps.
Today was an exercise for me. It felt odd and awkward at times, but it also felt like a vacation. Soon I intend to have one Disconnected Day a week. I intend to turn off not only my phone, but my computer and TV as well. Having one day a week without electronic entertainment will be great for my inner health.
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