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Lately, completely “unplugging” from this crazy world and retreating to a cabin in the woods has become more and more appealing. But I greatly enjoy the positives of technology and the internet; I mean, I am a blogger. I was left in a conundrum; how do I disconnect but still stay connected? Why can’t we live the best of both worlds? So I came up with a list of ways to disconnect to create more balance in life. And I noticed something. Withdrawing, even a little bit from the internet & technology, is learning to live a more old-fashioned life.

Since I ended up with such a big list of ideas to live a more old-fashioned life, I broke it down into categories to share in these next few weeks. Along with that, I’ll be covering living more old-fashioned by limiting tech and transitioning our hearts into more old-fashioned values. Depending on how much you want to pull back from the internet, you can pick and choose the ideas that work best for you and your family. Some ideas are more in depth than others. My intention is not for you to use every idea – I am firm believer that we cannot try to recreate the past. But instead, we can use the wisdom of the past in conjunction with today’s technology to create meaningful lives we are happy in.

old-fashioned laundry hanging on a clothes line
Laundry hanging on the line

A More Old-Fashioned Life – Why?

To be honest, because I don’t like the direction our culture is going. Maybe you feel the same.

Sure, technology can help us stay in touch with those we are already connected to in real life and that’s a good thing. We can even meet some new people through social media that have like interests; that’s a pretty great thing, too.

But, as much as I enjoy the internet and social media, I believe it has helped fuel the cultural disconnect in the way we see now. It’s no secret that we are seeing deep divides and a fragmenting of our society. Unfortunately, I’ve heard a lot of people not speaking to other family members anymore or “life long” friendships ending because of this polorization.

I also believe the internet, more specifically social media, is causing many people to be profoundly unhappy and discontent in their lives. Many are feeling a greater sense of loneliness while still desiring deep connection with others. Social media is billed as “connecting and unifying”, but more and more are feeling isolated. The reliance on the digital world is not helping them.

Just think; why are we still friends with people that have no bearing on our current lives? Some on our friends list we only knew as acquaintances 10 years ago or maybe took one class in college with. Unless this person is someone you would still get a cup of coffee with today; why are we worried about what they think of us?

Big Picture Lens and Community Sized Lens

A lot of us view the world primarily through the internet now; let’s call it the big picture lens. This can be a good thing by opening us up to new places and experiences, therefore expanding our understanding of the world and other people. We are able to stay connected and up to date with more people. But it can also be a big negative if we have too much of our lives and existence wrapped up in the internet. Especially when it becomes an addiction or a time drain. A lot of tech devices now tell you how many hours a week you’ve spent on them. Take a look at that number.

Are the hours you spent online consistent with the life you want to live?

fresh baked bread on cutting board
Homemade bread fresh from the oven

To take the benefits of using the internet but leave behind the negatives, we need to cultivate an equal community sized lens to balance our lives. What I mean by that is having a real, tangible life off-line with family and friends. A life that is active at your local church. One involved in a local civic organization to better your community and get to know your neighbors. A life that has built real bonds and relationships. Think of the way our grandparent’s generation lived as inspiration.

Before computers, our worlds were smaller, localized and more defined. Most had an address book of people that were sent Christmas cards, but had a much smaller amount of people they regularly did life with.

If we look at our lives through both lenses we can still see the big picture of the world around us. We can be informed and enjoy the benefits of the internet. All the while, understanding that our real lives are the ones we build within the community around us.

Just in my lifetime, I have seen the culture go from almost completely community sized lens before computers and now, accelerated in the last 18 months, to an almost exclusively big picture lens.

We can have the best of both lenses though; it’s about developing the balance of the two.

cat and old-fashioned telephone in front of lit up window
Our cat looking out the window next to our old-fashioned telephone (that works!)

The Community Sized Lens = How to Live a More Old-Fashioned Life

In these coming weeks, I’ll be sharing the ways to bring this community sized lens back into focus a bit.

Through looking at the ways we lived before the internet, we can reintegrate the best of the past into our today.

It’s called living a more old-fashioned life.

It’s time to bring ourselves back into balance.

Check out the rest of my A More Old-Fashioned Life Series

Planning & Communication

Homemaking

Quality Family Time

Hobbies

Money Management

Holiday Edition: A More Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving

Holiday Edition: A More Old-Fashioned Christmas