The Benefits of Less Media

It's now been about 3 weeks since I started my media fast. I feel I must confess upfront that I have not been steadfast. There have been days where I have fallen back into the depths of facebook/twitter/sportsblogs/etc. Old habits die hard.

But the general trend is upwards. And really, this isn't about a one-month fast. This is about weaning my dependance off easy, mindless uses of free time.

I feel compelled to tell you, friends, of the benefits of decreased media consumption. The biggest benefit is my slowed pace of thinking.

You see, the internet is geared around one thing- instant gratification. There is a storehouse of knowledge out there at our fingertips which we can access instantly without labor or difficulty. This is in fact quite a wonderful thing. It's a pool of collective knowledge--minds collaborating globally. Surely men throughout time have dreamt of such a thing.

But sin, seizing the opportunity, generates a mindset of "this is how things are". We get so adjusted to getting anything and everything with the press of a button. This is a dream come true for people like myself who LOVE to think fast......right? Right? I mean, finally, my mind can go where it likes without being hindered. It will race and race and before I know it, I've got the momentum of a train racing down a mountain. If the goal of life is to accumulate knowledge and accomplish as much as is humanly possible, then we are on the right track. But if life is about something else--something that necessitates slowing down and drinking from still waters, then we are in danger of becoming captives of our own runaway mind trains.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul."

I have enjoyed so many more times like this since I began this media fast. There have been many other benefits like reading books and journaling--both slower paced and MUCH more enjoyable (if you can discipline yourself). You see, enjoyment is not as much about quantity as it is quality. This is one thing that seemingly most of the world understands except the US, which is why we're a nation of mass-produced misers. But I digress.

I will continue to keep a close eye on my media intake when this fast is over. In fact, I don't plan on recognizing the "end" of it. This is the beginning of a life-long change.

Life is like a bowl of cherries. Hopefully they're Ranier.

Have you ever had a Ranier Cherry? I hadn't until yesterday. They are AMAZING. I bought a little bin of them at Publix because I wanted some cherries but didn't want 2 gallons of them and they're the only ones that come in small amounts. They are a little more expensive, coming in at $5 per pound, but it's well worth it. I've mostly been eating them as they are, but I also diced some and put them in some chicken salad I made yesterday.

It's always lots of fun finding a new food. I'm gonna be grabbing these off the shelf for many, many summers.

Coming Soon

New Andrew Peterson album is finally in my hands well on it's way to my head and my heart.

Full review to come soon!

Media Fast - Day 6

Next week I will have a chance to be truly tech-free. I'm going to Anchorage, Alaska with my dad to go Salmon fishing! Therefore I won't have any posts probably from Monday till next weekend. I know you'll miss these nice little chats we have.

Tonight I went to the Braves game with my buddy Sam from my small group. Braves won 2-1 and if the Mets lose we'll have a 5 game lead in the NL East. It's great to be back on top! The last 5 years have been rough as a Braves fan. It's been good for our spoiled fan-base though. But since it's Bobby Cox's last year, we're turnin it bak up! I've got a glorious vision of us winning the World Series and carrying Bobby off the field. I've already decided if we make the World Series, I'm going to at least one if not multiple games. I'll sell stuff if I have to.

Media Fast - Day 5

Not much to report today. Didn't even turn on the TV today because there was no baseball whatsoever. The day after the all-star game is what I consider to be the worst sports day of the year. No baseball, football, or basketball going on. The only sporting event of note is the preliminary rounds of the Brittish Open (which I plan on keeping up with this year since it's at St. Andrews).

I've had fish for dinner the past two nights because I've been at the grocery store each day and wanted to get something healthy. Last night it was blackened tilapia and tonight it was parmesan and cornmeal baked catfish. Both turned out great. I should have taken pictures. Ok, that's all I got.

Media Fast - Day 4

Well, I broke the fast momentarily today. After Brian McCann hit a 3 run double in the All-Star game, I wanted to see who all posted about it on Facebook. Oh well. I also spent a while looking at fantasy baseball stuff, which technically wasn't against the rules, but I spent a while on there which kind of defeated the purpose of the fast. Again, oh well. I still plan on staying on track.

I'm sure I'll have my ups and downs with this, but I know the general trend will work in my favor. And I don't have much guilt over breaking it today because it's not something I committed to God. It's just something I want to do.

On a side note, I decided to buy some Oreo Cakesters today on my brother's recommendation. These are like regular Oreo's but instead of having chocolate cookie sandwiching the icing, they have a chocolate cake-like substance. I found many things about these less pleasing than original Oreos. First, the consistency. The mushy cake-on-icing is not near as good as the crunch you get from a regular Oreo. Also, you lose the ability dip the Oreo and get that wonderfully paradoxical crunchy-yet-soggy consistency. Also, the taste isn't as good as the original. The chocolate flavor isn't as strong so the icing becomes overpowering. But the worst part of all came when I looked at the nutrition information. Two cakesters come in a package. These are slightly larger than regular Oreos by the way. Two cakesters contain 180 calories. That's 90 calories per cakester. And on top of that, one package contains 18 grams of fat. Now, one gram of fat has 9 calories (carbs and protein both have 4). So that means there are 18g x 9cal = 162 calories from fat. That's right, 162 of the 180 calories that are in cakesters are from fat. For those without calculators, that means OREO CAKESTERS ARE 90% FAT. I might as well be gnawing on a stick of butter. I can't believe people eat and enjoy these. If I'm going to clog my arteries with pure, concentrated fat like that, I'm gonna do it with something I enjoy, like straight bacon drippings or heavy cream. Seriously though, if I'm going to eat unhealthy, I'm going to enjoy it. I'm not gonna settle for some sub-par, gross, oreo wannabe. I can just imagine fat Americans everywhere apathetically chowing down on these and it makes me sick. Oreo Cakesters are everything that's wrong with America.

Media Fast - Day 3

It's been a little harder today to stay away from my go-to time-wasters (Facebook, twitter, etc). The hardest part is when I know I don't have enough time to sit down and read or do something constructive. Entertainment media is a great way to fill those small moments. The problem is that those small moments have a way of stretching themselves into long moments. Perhaps my goal in returning to these things will be to limit them. The problem is not these things in and of themselves, but rather how I treat them. I know they cannot fill me, but they are EASY things to turn to. But what good things in this life are easy? Not many. And maybe none at all.

Media Fast - Day 2

Today, after church, I met up with some friends to watch the World Cup final. I don't really like soccer, but I got into it a little bit. Then the garbage officiating and sissified flops reminded me why I don't watch soccer. But, it was fun to be out of the house.

I wouldn't have necessarily stayed home and watched TV/surfed internet today if not for the media fast, but there's a chance I would have. Tonight I'm gonna watch a movie over at my friend's house. I've decided this is ok because I'll be with other people. Until then I'm gonna fix some dinner and maybe do some reading. I've just started The Son of Laughter by Frederick Buechner (author of possibly my favorite book of all time, Godric, which you can read a great review of here).

Two days in--so far so good!

Media Fast - Day 1

I decided last night to do a one month media pseudo-fast. Not a complete fast because there are many things which would be irresponsible to neglect. Here's a list of what I can use the internet for:

-Work/ anything related to Back Relief Products
-Email
-Fantasy Baseball
-Reading articles on Rabbit Room
-Responding to any messages/wall posts on Facebook (I can't initiate these or even browse Facebook)

I'm also limiting TV to the following:
-Braves
-If I'm at a friends house

I'll be updating here daily what this is like. I'm going to spend more time reading, journaling, praying, and being with other people.

And yes, I realize the irony of blogging about being tech-free.

Normal Life

"There is no normal life, Wyatt. There's just life."
~Doc Holliday

It seems like such a simple thought, but there's so much wisdom in it.

Beginning when we're just children we form ideals of what a life should look like. Here in America, it's especially clear (or cookie) cut. Finish school. Go to college. Find a wife. Find a job with a company. Have kids. Spend the next 20 years devoted to your wife, kids, and company. Not necessarily in that order.

This plan works well for many people. But the problem comes when the people who aren't on this track start to feel like they're doing something wrong. Ok, I'll get real: I feel like I'm doing something wrong because I'm not floating down this river. I know in my head that there's not one way to live life (how boring would that be) and that there are many pros to my life, but I still can't shake the feeling that I'm off track and I need to work towards getting on track. I feel a little like Wyatt Earp at the end of Tombstone, when he confesses that all he ever wanted was a normal life. Wife, kids, property. The American Dream.

But why do I want these things? Is it just because they're "normal"? Do I really want these things right now? I'm not sure that I do as much as I think I do. I love the freedom that I have being single. I love that I woke up today and decided to float down the Chattahoochee River with one of my best friends. I love that I get to enjoy my niece a couple times a week but don't have to deal with the rough times. I love that my search for a job has forced me to examine what I'm really passionate about in life.

There is no normal life, Wyatt. It seems that Doc Holliday's implications are such: don't feel like life is a line to be followed. Don't concentrate all your efforts on getting over to that line when you see you've veered off.

There are many good things about education, marriage, children, and job security. But life is not a line to be walked. It's a jungle to be explored.

Lord, help me to explore life with the passions you've given me. Let me be shocked and amazed around every corner. And help me remember you have no stencils for how to live life, except to love.