My Password is Protected, Even From Myself.

The other day I went to get some cash out of the atm at a cash-only bar.

I put my pin number in and waited and waited.

I realized as I stood there that I could no longer actually remember my pin number and that the number I had put in was just some random concoction I imagined was the correct number, but sadly it was not.

What happened to it?

I cannot figure it out.

I blame it entirely on information overload. I must have signed up one too many passwords. A human brain may only be capable of storing a particular number; I agree after 20 it sort of gets out of control.

I mean, how many different log-ins do I have. If I sit and count, it comes to around probably 15...maybe 20. Maybe more and I just don't remember (ha).

I've had that pin number for about four years now. You think it wouldn't just disappear from my brain, which makes me paranoid that there is something wrong with my brain. Maybe I have a tumor or something. I hope not because that would be a mess.

I guess I need to write everything down somewhere, which sort of defeats the purpose of security.... but its better than going through the mess of getting a new pin...or password. Waiting around for wherever I logged in to email me back what I've forgotten.

Time to start doing more brain exercises...I guess reading and writing and thinking are not enough for my memory.

A Day Without a Computer.

So, I blog often about internet/computer addiction and because I feel like being on the computer seems to take over my whole day I have decided to give it up for a whole day.

A whole day every week.

Sunday. Because that's the day of rest right?

Anyhoo, I did it last week and it was great. I got through like 20 pages of Infinite Jest (only a million more to go). I meditated (that's right), I baked, I went on a walk, etc. etc. It was beautiful.

And again. I didn't really miss anything. Nothing urgent came into my inbox the following Monday. Facebook remained steadily flowing. Twitter kept tweeting. And I kept my sanity.

If that's what you want to call it.

I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow.

If you need me, I'm only a text away.

Internet-Free is the Way to Be.

I went three days without the internet and guess what? It didn't kill me. In fact, I think I may be revived.

I realized that I may be more addicted to the routine of being on the internet than the internet itself.

But I also came to understand that I don't need that routine anymore, I can have a different one and still survive.

I came home to 70 emails. Not bad. Out of those 70 emails only 4 needed to be read.

4 in 3 days.

And they were in no way urgent.

So why do I spend most of my day sitting on the computer checking my email, my facebook, twitter?

Starting today I am going to stop. I'm instilling time-limits. When my time is up I'm moving on to other things like book reading or walking around my beautiful neighborhood.

The online world may be full of fascinating information, people, ideas, but getting off-line is much more rewarding.

Reality: real living breathing people and things I can touch with my hands--that is what I should spend more time with, that is where I should be.