It was in about 1999 that I stopped wearing a watch on a regular basis. Apart from my amusement with an MSN Direct watch I was given to toy with, I haven't had anything on my wrist in about five years. This lack of arm-worn devices was prompted by my aquisition of a cell phone, which shows the time on its display. I figured that if I needed to know what time it was, it would by available on my phone, which I either kept in my pocket or in a belt-worn holster.
What began as an idea to simply rely on less equipment, or combine the functions of several devices into one, has had an excellent side-effect. It has virtually eliminated my desire to keep track of time. Sure I can still get my phone out to make sure I am at a meeting on time, but the absence of regular glancing at my watch, which can become somewhat of a nervous or bored habit, means that I am much more relaxed and able to focus on whoever or whatever needs my attention. Time, which is really nothing but a unit of measure, seems to occupy a great deal of our mental energy and defines so much about what we think of the day, the year, and our lives. Time defines us, instead of us defining ourselves. My small step toward decoupling myself from my watch ended up being a huge step in my ability to work more calmly and more productively, and enjoy my personal time more as well.
The idea of having less-convenient access to information such as time, email, and the internet goes against what our society has been giddy about for most of the twentieth century. The alure of being able to get in touch with anyone at any time, such as sending messages instantly around the world from a wrist watch is an exciting technical challenge, but it is not in the best interest of society as a whole. Too much information can be overwhelming, which is why we need better ways of accessing only the information we need. Instant access to anyone or anything makes us lose our ability or desire to plan, and lessens our independance as individuals. These days it is too easy to call someone on their cell phone whenever even the slightest question arises. Instead of one person figuring out the problem by herself, another person is interrupted and involved in the problem solving process as well. This second person might be engaged with other people, causing a cacading effect that is annoying and unproductive.
When we lessen our reliance on technology, time, and communications, we realize that life is simpler. Sure, there are many valid uses for mobile phones, email and the internet, but we need to treat them as tools instead of things that define us. A carpenter needs a good table saw. But she doesn't need to take it to a picnic, just because she has it. I used to take my laptop everywhere, because I felt that having a computer at all times was something that would improve my life. I even had a cell phone that would allow me to connect my laptop to the internet from anywhere. Thus, I carried an expensive and heavy portable office everywhere I went. It was surprising to me that I hardly ever used all that stuff that I had with me, and when I did, it was cumbersome and frustrating to set up. Once it was working, I really never got very much productive work done. There are many uses for a laptop, but I no longer have wireless internet service, and my laptop is an old and slightly broken second computer. I have no desire to upgrade it any time soon, if it still serves its purpose for those times that I need to take a computer somewhere. I have realized now that I much prefer to make a point of going to my desk, sitting down and working. And when I leave that desk, I leave behind all the unsolved problems, emails and work, instead of putting them in my backpack and hauling them around with me.
So when we rely on time, information and tools, we unnecessarily cripple ourselves. We hurt our ability to concentrate on the immediate situation, and we risk missing important details and enjoyment from each experience. Think of the dad that spends all of his child's formative years attending concerts, plays and sports games, and seeing it all through the viewfinder of a video camera. As time goes by it's nice to look at those tapes, but I tend to think that the camera-happy father would probably like to look back and think about all the wonderful experiences he had supporting is son or daughter, instead of all the batteries he charged, tapes he changed, and tripods he set up and took down.
Time, technology and tools should be liberating, not suffocating. We all need to take care to pay enough, but never too much attention to things that distract us from enjoying life.
