Manic Monday: losing an hour...or more

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me
at once." ~Ashleigh Brilliant

Anyone seriously feeling the loss of that hour?

I usually feel at least an hour behind, so I sort of feel like everyone else joined my boat today. Except some people don't seem phased by the LOSS OF AN HOUR at all. As if they have so well-managed their lives that even a depletion of one of our precious 24 hours does not rock their world. I do not write this blog for them.

This week I received an email that changed my life. It was only 3 short sentences.

"I only check e-mail once a week.
If your email is a timely manner, please call or text me.
Thank you."

WHAT? WHAT?WHAT?
(If you know that song, that line will be more fun for you :)

Isn't it amazing when you witness someone else living a life that you did not even know you were allowed to live? Check my email once a week? For real? Could I continue being productive? Could I stay connected? Could I get everything done that I am "supposed" to be getting done with out checking my email, um, every 15 minutes?

First of all let me say, I love email. I love the internet. I love my iphone. I love blogs. I love facebook. I am even beginning to love texting. (although, I still can't figure out the twitter.)

When I was a teenager, I lived in a isolated environment. When I was a stay-at-home mom with my babies, I was very isolated. I don't do isolation. I am the kind of person who begins to wither away when I lose touch with the big wonderful world out there.

I love people and I love the opportunities that technology offers me to stay connected with my friends and family even though we have crazy busy lives and we live scattered all over the world.

BUT
and in case you didn't get the message, that is a BIG BUT...

staying connecting is exhausting. Staying means you never get a break. Staying means you walked into the world of being connected and you took off your coat and shoes and you decided to stay. In fact, you decided to change into your comfy clothes and snuggly slippers and you really stayed. connected. all of the freaking time.

Every text, every email, every phone message, even the messages between other friends that have nothing to do with me bling through on my phone. And if they are not blinging at me, I am checking to see if I missed anything while I was going to the bathroom or blow drying my hair.

I would worry that you might think me neurotic (me? neurotic?) except that I know I am not alone. This is, in fact, the world we live in. And I thought everyone lived in this world until I received that profoundly simple email this week.

I am on a Manic Monday Mission to explore how I could use my beloved technology for all of the ways it enhances, improves, and simplifies my life without letting it steal more hours from me than day light savings time.