Divorcing technology...

I love my phone.  No, I mean it. I LOOOVVVEEEE my phone. I find myself holding it. I dream about it. I text, I facebook, I google, I gps...I have my phone attached at my hip 24/7.

When did this happen??  Several years ago I never would have given it a second thought. I never had a cell phone. I prided myself on that fact. I didnt need to be connected to the outside world all the time, and I was perfectly OK with that choice.

Then it happened.  Hubby started working for Sprint and we got practically free cell phone service.
Something snapped.  I became a phone junkie.

Now I leave for work and if I forget my phone at home I am like an addict going through withdrawal . I get nervous and shaky and paranoid. I NEED MY PHONE!!!

But the other day I was watching a group of middle schoolers and high schoolers get off the afternoon bus in the neighborhood.   They were all head down over their phones texting or on facebook or something.  EVERY...SINGLE...ONE!!!
No one was talking.  No one was playing. No one was joking.  They were all too busy with their noses in their phones to pay attention to where they were even walking.  I thought one pour soul was going to walk smack into the mailbox.

Thats when I realized I have a problem.

Hubby and I go out on a lunch date...phones are out.  I am playing a game.(UGH, Curse you Dots!!)  Or he is on facebook. Or working on a crossword puzzle.  Instead of enjoying our time together we are too busy with technology to pay attention.

I find myself checking facebook on a regular basis...you know because someones status might have changed within the past 30 minutes.  Their food choices, or some stupid foursquare check-in that no one really even gives a shit about (Pardon the language, foursquare is my biggest pet peeve) might have updated.  Or heaven forbid, someone might have posted a stupid music video from 1994 with a caption "remember this??"
Do I REALLY not have enough on my plate?  Is it REALLY important?  Will I die if I dont constantly check my phone?  Can that email wait an hour to reply to?

"Mom can you play a game with me?"
"uhhh let me finish what Im doing on the computer first".

I have had these conversations WAY too many times, and enough is enough.
It is time to get back to my kids, show them THEY are more important that so and so's current boyfriend drama, or so and so's dinner check in, or Mr self Important's latest rant about his politcal views that apparently are better than mine and Im an idiot if I believe so and so  about such and such.
Seriously. It is too much. I find myself thinking about it all day. It is too distracting, and it is keeping me from what is really important.


So this year my big goal is to Divorce technology.
Yes I will have my cell phone with me.  No I will not pull it out during meals or while spending time with my kids.
Yes I will be on the computer, but only 30 minutes in the morning to catch up on emails, facebook,  news and blog posts.

 No more constant checking.  I will spend time with my kids and keep my phone and computer and tablet put away.

This is the year of less noise. Less distraction. Less junk.

Now my 30 minutes are up. Time to spend with my family.