Taking (a little) time alone, unplugged, can really be a good thing. I love doing life with others and living in community, but sometimes the best way to be ready for that is to unplug. It may be a little ironic writing about “unplugging” in a very connected format like a blog, but life is full of irony.
A good friend of mine and I went on a snowboarding trip to Colorado. On day three of that trip we were night riding at Keystone (something anyone who is into skiing or boarding should do!!). On our second run of the night I told him to ride on (he is a few levels above me anyhow), what happened then wasn’t anything you can really plan for.
For a solid 5-7 min I was alone on the mountain, it was lightly snowing that night, for the past few days it had drenched the mountains in snow and the wind had been gale force, but not that night, it was practically still. There was absolutely no one around me at all….I was ALONE, it was perfectly quiet except for a little whisper in the pines and the occasional sound of my board moving the snow as I glided down the hill. I couldn’t tell you the last time I felt so open, it’s easy to listen when there is no clutter. No ipod in my ear, no texts or emails hitting my phone, no computer in my face, it really was surreal. On top of that mountain, in the dark, alone, I felt more connected to the world than I had in months.
Coelho, one of my favorite authors talks about the ability to listen to the “language of the world”….and I can tell you, that night I was listening.
I guess sometimes it takes an effort to unplug, go for a walk (no ipod), sit in a chair (no tv blaring), read a book then sit and think about it, pray for longer than 3 min or any other manner of taking some time unplugged. While being connected to others is integral and we all need it, a little more time listening can do wonders (even if its only 5-7 min).
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