So I’m writing this post offline because my internet has gone down and I have no idea what to do with myself. I mean, I could clean but the place doesn’t really need it. I could write a scene or two and then add them to Google Docs later but I like to reread what I’ve previously written to get into the right mind-set. I’ll probably do that eventually because I HAVE to write. I’d go crazy otherwise but right at this moment I’m feeling like I’m missing a limb. A really awesome, entertaining and useful one.
So while I keep checking my status, my lack of connectivity has gotten me thinking.
Before there was The Internet what the hell did I do all day? When had I gotten so hooked?
It wasn’t until I was in my last couple years of high school that people started getting connected to the internet so I’ve been online for nearly two decades (damn I’m getting old). Before that my friends and I were lucky enough to live in a small town that had a lot of outdoor type things to do. We hiked, biked, climbed, swam and just hung out on a regular basis.
Once I hit university I spent more time on the computer writing papers, researching papers. I would disappear for stretches of time talking to people I’d met online in the midst of my cyber travels. Sadly, by this point, my high school friends and I had gone our separate ways and were now scattered around the globe. Not that it was a problem. We kept in touch via email, and later, Facebook and Skype. The ease and speed of the net made the world smaller and keeping in contact a whole lot easier.
After that I’d started work which required even more time on the computer. How could I not with a job in IT? I’d also started writing fanfics, creating my own site to house my and others’ stories. That created a whole new reason to be online constantly. I had to keep an eye on the site, answer posts, write, talk to friends….
Which brings me to now where I do practically everything online and it’s only when I don’t have it that I realize how dependant on the computer/internet I’ve become.
It’s kind of scary.
I think I’ll step away from the computer for a little while.