Screens Down, Eyes Up

Being a human in 2014 is hard sometimes.

6:00 A.M. Begin your Monday in a blurry-eyed haze, not quite able to discern between actual reality and the warm fuzzy subconscious from which you were mercilessly yanked by the scream of your alarm clock.

6:30 A.M. The coffee is made; you fill your cup for the second time and trudge like a zombie across the kitchen, mindlessly scrolling through the digital news source of your choice. Another euphoric engagement announcement, another stateside case of Ebola, another sideways pair of brightly painted duck lips. 

That's funny, I've only seen like fifty articles today about why I'm living my life all wrong. Maybe I really should go gluten-free... That's it, forget this toast. I'm never buying bread again.

Wait, I actually think that ankle tattoo is kind of cute... Does that mean I'm a basic bitch? I do use an iPhone, but I swore off pumpkin spice lattes in 2008. I think I'm good.

Ahhhhh today is Daryl's birthday. Should I write on his wall? Or send him a message? No, that's too personal, we don't even know each other like that.... What if I just don't? Maybe he won't notice... Aw sh** I just poked him. 

These days it seems that most people interact with half the universe before they even roll out of bed. The sun rises with so much more emotional burden than it used to. Do you feel guilty for not having participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge last month? You sure can't do it now... that fad ship has sailed. Do you feel fat because a Kardashian lost ten pounds in like five minutes? Do you feel lonely and pathetic because your only-kind-of-good-looking cousin just got married? Did you just plummet into a fiery internal rage because some kid misspelled the word "definitely?" Congratulations, it's not even 7:00 A.M. and you're already insecure, angry, and cynical.

One of the most difficult things we can do is consciously disconnect ourselves from all this superfluous cyber-garbage without going completely off the grid. How am I supposed to promote my business without also Instagramming today's breakfast and ranking my favorite sci-fi themed cat costumes? Like how??

I'm not offering any kind of solution. I'm commending you people for maintaining just enough residual sanity to continue moving forward daily as functioning human beings. 

It does help to occasionally remind yourself: Screens down, eyes up.

Wander back,
Lauren