A Throwback Summer?

[windinthemaples]

Something has been percolating in my brain for awhile now. Bits and pieces of thoughts and experiences that, surprisingly, are becoming one giant, all-encompassing whole. My nostalgic, wistful missing of handwriting letters and Daniel and I's love for paper maps and spontaneous road trips. My summer memories of playing kick-the-can with whatever neighbor kids happened to be within earshot. My iPhone's now ubiquitous presence in my life--the curse and the blessing it is to have. The (sad) state of food today--all processed and convenience-first design.

I'm thinking of embarking on a little project. A throwback summer--some as-yet-undetermined amount of time where I toss out 30 years of technological advances. Where I turn off the internet and put my mobile phone in a box and where I make everything without the microwave. Where we (ideally) ditch television, computers, and other digital entertainments for simpler ones. Where I go to stores to buy things instead of to Amazon. Where I pay cash and visit the bank tellers. Use and develop film camera photos. Use a paper calendar, a paper journal, and paper grocery lists. Have a phone line (corded) without an answering machine.

Of course, the irony is that I'd want it to become a blog-like experience, so I'd have to allow for some internet/computer time each week. What if, that was an hour or two a week and it had to be done while sitting in a library--not at my own home?

Just something percolating. I remember our family's first remote control, our first microwave, our first experience with an ATM--but my son doesn't know a world without those things is even possible. And THAT, ultimately, is what is fueling my desire to see another world again to see what of our new world is really worthwhile.

How about you? What would your 'throwback summers' include? :)

Comments

[costumenut.livejournal.com]

Hours spent at the library to soak up the air conditioning - going to watch free movies there during the summer, going to free local summer concerts (something we hope to do so Gareth gets used to hearing live music), time spent outside. :-)

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

The library! That was a huge part of my summers. The time spent outside is the biggest one for me, too. For us, we had dinner at 5pm every night and we could stay outside until it got dark. In the winter, that meant we were in from 4:30pm+. In the summer, it didn't get dark until 9pm. Those were magic hours, eating popsicles and running around outside after dinner.

[radshaun.livejournal.com]

Yes to this. A hundred times...yes.

I'm actually thinking that after FML is released, I'm going to go on another Internet hiatus like I did last year...but maybe for 2 months this time as opposed to just one. That one month was really quite wonderful and I think I want to do it again.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

You're part of my inspiration. I, too, am burned out on this internet thing and worse, my son can't even imagine a life where one COULD do without it.

[cloverdew.livejournal.com]

That sounds kind of awesome. Keep us informed on how it turns out. I don't think I could do it, though I am thinking about disconnecting from social media networks and trying to "disconnect" from the internet a bit more and connect with myself more in the present moment - work more on things I like: cooking, creating art, journaling/blogging, graphics, photography.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I like that, the idea of "connect[ing] with myself more in the present moment". That's really the feel I'm going for. Having more time for family. Having a simpler existence.

I'll let you know how it goes!

[suzanna-o.livejournal.com]

I love that!
Despite (or perhaps because of) my work in media and entertainment, I tend to be relatively unplugged in my off-hours. Reading, music, evening walks.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I love that you can shut it off. I know that for me and my husband, it is hard to corral the internet (and all those kinds of electronic white noise) into one particular time of the day. My computer hasn't been powered down more than a handful of times a year. Having no boundaries on it, between my phone and my laptop, means that I may get emails or messages (many junk mail) at any time of day or night.

I really look forward to experiencing life without that for awhile.

[suzanna-o.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

And I have a reading recommendation for you: "The Solitary Summer".
I wrote about it a couple of weeks ago: http://suzanna-o.livejournal.com/1088836.html
It's partly autobiographical account of a woman who decides to spend her summer in more peace and solitude--and this at the end of the nineteenth century, when we might think the distractions were fewer. :)

[ilea.livejournal.com]

Might be a good idea. I for one could totally live without a phone although I would keep it on me for emergencies since payphones are not easily found anymore. I could totally live without an ATM and TV too ( I kinda already do).


Some of the best years of my life was when our TV broke and we couldn't afford a new one so I built an AM radio and spent my days and night listening to talk radio and calling into shows (at age 11 - 12ish?). When one of the local shows did an awards show of sorts I won "Child caller of the year". Got a certificate, dinner and a trip to the zoo lol.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Child Caller of the Year? Ha! That's sweet.

I think we're ahead of the game, too. We watch a couple hours of TV a week, tend to eat pretty healthily already, and spend a lot of time with simple things like board games and library books and playing ball in the yard. The internet and my cell phone will be the big change--shutting those off entirely. No Google or GoogleMaps? That'll take some adjustment.

[creativitywitch.livejournal.com]

this sounds so amazing

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I'll let you know how it goes!

[belladonnastrap.livejournal.com]

Hmmm.

I guess my throwback summer would involve laying in the sun eating ice cream and reading a book? As a kid I didn't really do much in the summer besides that and visit the playground...I loved summers because I had as much time as I wanted to read! So in that respect I guess I still do what I did then, just minus the ice cream melting down my face :P

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

My summers involved a lot of books, too. I remember maxing out my library check-outs every visit. (21 books.) My parents were very good about taking me most anytime I wanted to go. :D

And ice cream trucks!! I just realized that while they were my summer ice cream experience, they aren't around here--just in the city.

[rubymulligan.livejournal.com]

Maybe Graeme and Elena could make their own ice cream truck, of sorts. If you have one of those popsicle molds, make multiple flavors and colors out of blended fruit, yogurt, nut milks and butters, juice, etc. The family can have fun inventing the recipes, coming up with cool names for the flavors, then making a menu sign and decorating it with drawings and prices. Then Graeme could practice using money and giving correct change and Elena could drive the truck (her big wheels). I know this is a intensive, wackadoo idea, but it just came to me when you said "ice cream truck".