Too Much Technology

I'm looking at my desk, and I have:

- a digital camera to download photos from yesterday's meeting
- my flash drive
- my new cell phone with text messages popping up from time to time
- a digital recorder my boss lent to me
- the work laptop so I can download some notes from yesterday's meeting that i forgot to save with my flash drive
- my ipod


I have a facebook page, a personal flickr page, a work flickr page, a geni family tree page, a good reads page, a work email address, a hotmail address, a gmail address, unlimited text messaging, an RSS feed, a personal blog, two work blogs, an instant messenger account, a meebo account, a youTube account, an imeem account, a sketchcast account, an iTunes account, I belong to two wiki pages, manage 1 wiki page, I started paying my credit card online, I check bank statements online, I send e-cards online, I read the newspaper online, I book airline flights online, I register for conferences online, I'm dating online and I'd probably eat and go to the bathroom online if I could!
(Now wouldn't that be something! You type in a login and password and out comes a cheeseburger and fries from your cd drive!)

Logins, passwords, check boxes, agreements, uploads, downloads, verifications, memberships, password questions, mother's maiden name, grandfather's name, his grandfather's name, popups, notifications.

And I wonder why my head is constantly spinning??!?!
Enough already. This is getting out of control!

I'm communicating more and more through keys and buttons. I love technology, and I love what it does for us. I love that it makes life easier and more convenient. I love that everything is so readily available. I understand this is the way of the world and it's required. It's required for me and for the work I do.

But it's becoming too much.

I don't want text or instant messaging as the best means to reach me. I don't want to be one of those people who can't go on vacation without checking email. I don't want "my whole life" to be in my cell phone. I found it pathetic that the other day someone asked me for a friend's number, and I had no clue what it was. Of course, I had forgotten my cell at home that day.

"Um...# 4 on speed dial?"
"I can say 'call Tom's cell' and then the number pops up?

Super. I was a big help.

I also don't want to turn into one of those people who forgets what it's like to actually talk to people. I need interaction. I need face time. I think we all do to some extent.

I need a break, and it's up to me to back off, at least a little. I just need to find a happy medium. Whether it's no text messaging on Sundays or no emails on Saturdays, or cutting back on the sites I sign up for....it just has to be done.

I tH!nK s0.
:>)