Technology Trap

This week during Wild Writing we were given the prompt “clicking clicking” a taken from a Marie Howe poem. I admit though that I thought about naming it “This is Your Brain Online.”

We are to take the prompt and write, non-stop, for 15 minutes. We are to write quickly, pen not leaving the paper, so as to short-circuit our inner-cleverness and attempts to be ‘good’ writers.

What I wrote is true. What I wrote is not a ‘whoa is me’ whine. It’s not a complaint. It’s an extraction of my own monkey mind shared in service of all of our awakening.

I’m sharing it because I want to remind us all that we’re not so different from each other. I’m sharing it because I want to highlight the deafening noise so many of us choose to live with. I’m sharing it because I want to encourage all of us to take a stand against the draining of our ease.

::::::::::::

clicking clicking

what if you could watch someone’s internet use over their shoulder.

The clicking clicking

email.
Facebook.
Twitter.
Hootsuite.

Another email inbox, in another browser.

clicking clicking

Chrome. Safari. Oh and Firefox too, for Infusionsoft.

Then Pinterest and HuffPo for soothing and distraction.

clicking clicking

Google Drive with three half written blog posts. Inspiration petering out into insecurity.

clicking clicking

That YouTube video of the cute dog singing.

clicking clicking

iMovie and the video you agreed to record for another’s e-course. Get the lighting right. Set the laptop on a stack of cookbooks.

clicking clicking

Google calendar, when’s my next client? Where’s the time to write? Or take a nap?

clicking clicking

What’s new on J.Crew?

Everyone’s Retweeting her piece, I should read it.

Paypal. Who do I owe? Who owes me?

Kaiser Permanente. Messaging Dr. Wang, I think my throat is sick again. When can I come in?

clicking clicking

Do I have time to watch The Bachelor?

clicking clicking

That David Leibovitz ginger cake recipe. I should get a shopping list together.

clicking clicking

“Five Things You Should Take Off Your Site Right Now” Phew, I don’t have any of those.

clicking clicking

Evites and Skype calls and hours lost in Photoshop and on Etsy.

clicking clicking

He sends a link. I send one back. And so it goes.

clicking clicking

Southwest. Got my ticket to Vegas. Should I get the others?

clicking clicking

3 am. Can’t sleep. Lance Armstrong, with Spanish subtitles. The whole three hours.

clicking clicking

Did anyone like my Instagram photo? Phone in one hand, the other resting on the keyboard.

clicking clicking

Not really getting anywhere. Inbox at 50. Down to 30. Up to 44. There’s no winning.

clicking clicking

Requests. Request. Requests.

clicking clicking

Clients in need. Clients in fogs. Clients in joy.

clicking clicking

An invitation to teach.

A reminder I’m late.

20 newsletters I never read.

clicking clicking

a photo of my sister’s pregnant belly.

clicking clicking

Amazon. Adding to my cart.

clicking clicking

Moo.com is having a 25% off sale. Should I order? I don’t need anything.

clicking clicking

A friend’s salacious email i’m bcc’d on.

clicking clicking

The Milo Foundation. Who’s up for adoption? And Craigslist. What do houses cost?

clicking clicking

Make the haircut appointment online. Cancel the haircut appointment online.

clicking clicking

What’s really happening here?

::::::::::::

I don’t believe we have to unplug completely in order to find ease and quiet our mind, but I do think that going forward mindlessly, escaping from our lives into click after click is not the way.

Ease Hunting starts February 4th.

If your ‘clicking clicking’ could use some soothing, join us.

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