The Off-Ramp

Got back a couple of nights ago from a five-day camping trip that represented an unusually thorough detachment from the daily process of keeping up with the news. Without internet access - or even access to other people for much of the time - the entire world was pretty much off my radar between last Friday night and this past Wednesday. Can't remember the last time I went so dark for so long (I know, it wasn't really that long), and as I drift slowly back into the real world, I have a couple of observations to share about what it's like to take the off-ramp from the information superhighway.

First, I'm amazed at how easy it was. Being a journalist, information is kind of my thing, and my normal day involves an obsessive amount of reading about everything from current events to entertainment to sports. I don't generally like feeling that I don't know what's going on. And yet it didn't take me long to forget about pretty much everything. I had no inclination to read more about Michael Jackson's death. I seemed to resolve that the situation in Iran would either resolve itself or not without my reading or hearing about it. And though I remained a bit curious about the National Hockey League draft, I completely forgot about the opening of the league's free agent season. I'm usually slavishly devoted to reading up on this stuff - especially the hockey stuff - but while I missed it, I didn't miss it. 

Secondly, I'm amazed at how overwhelming it can be to come back from such a break. So much to catch up to, so many stories that have come and gone, so many others for which it's hard to pick up an accurate, contextually-appropriate trail. I'm a bit of an OCD completist, so it's hard for me to scan the headlines and just focus on the most recent stuff. I want to know the whole conversation. But in the digital age, missing a few days' worth of conversation means climbing a mountain of words, much of which has already become irrelevant.

I guess this is just another "digital age" post. Not really breaking new ground here. But after taking a few days off, I realize just how accustomed I'd become to the constant flow of information. The good news is that it's possible to take a step back and realize that, just because it's possible to find out about anything, anytime, anywhere, one isn't obligate to do that. Information can be an addiction, but it's pretty easy to get on the wagon. Information, like the furniture, will be there when you get back.