In the Oct. 25 edition of The Contributor, I suggested that an entire exciting vacation could be had by walking out your door with a daypack, a coat and a bank card while avoiding the use of the combustion engine.
Why even try this? Because our cars combined with the Internet are controlling us. They are meant to be servants… not masters.
I am in good company. Chris Moody, a new father and professor in Boone, N.C., was published in the “One Story to Read Today” newsletter, re-published in The Atlantic.
And yes, I found the story in the online version of The Atlantic.
Other resources include Arthur C. Brooks’s article titled, “How to Break a Phone Addiction.”
The Internet is my sometimes tool. Never my master.
Living in a tent during the pandemic kept me from relying on the Internet. If I was lost in Nashville (due to the rapidly changing skyline) I simply had to travel to the next street sign and search my memory of street layout.
It was a marvelous surprise to find the new-to-me 28th Ave. connector, which was long delayed due to racist policies.
Vending The Contributor is riskiest when all my potential customers are glued to their phone. Therefore I wear bright yellow and wave to oncoming people before they stop. Long before the stop because many people are able to calculate the distance between them and the next car and start looking down before they even come to a stop!
Am I that friendly?
Yes. Plus, it’s a surprise connection for the driver. They are pulled out of their isolated bubble — even if for a fraction of a second. Win/ Win.
On to the Challenge, should we choose to accept it.
Options:
- Leave a day early. Lock all devices in the trunk. Take the Blue Highways. Stop in at local shops and eateries along the way. Ask a stranger a question.
- If you are receiving guests, plan the time so that everyone can walk or perhaps bus to a location together. Make a map of your immediate neighborhood and find something interesting to do. If you’re in the burbs, maybe it’s just walking around greeting your neighbors. You might want to try greeting them ahead of time, so they’re not taken completely by surprise! In other words, start walking around your neighborhood now. 😉
- Skip the gifts for the over 14 crowd. Have everyone put their devices in a basket and leave them there. Have everyone tell a story.
- When going out, you may want to print out a paper map and bus schedules. A wonderful teaching opportunity for the under 30 crowd.
- Go to hear music, a play or to a shelter serving a Holiday meal. Eat with folks, then help clean up. Take the bus home and talk about it with your family.
- Look up the history of your neighborhood. Take everyone on a walking tour.
- Are you flying somewhere? Make an effort to get to know one local person. Give them something they really need as you are leaving. Commit to planting a hundred trees this year. If appropriate, a few large bamboo stands will also suffice.
My prediction? The happiest Holiday in your history.