Bike to Reality
Nothing beats a 5 am mountain bike ride at Curt Cowdy. The sky is blindingly blue, the grass fresh, and the water flowing high.
Even the digger I took was worth it just to be outside, unplugged, and in the middle of nature.
I think so many of us are tethered to our phones, our computers, and Facebook that we forget what reality is.
In fact, I was in a meeting with some City folks and we were discussing marketing for the parking utilization study underway and many of them felt that Facebook was the number one way to market or communicate in Cheyenne.
That made me wonder, is it? What about all of our friends who don’t do social media? We have an entire older generation who don’t use computers at all, let alone smart phones or FB. We have those who have chosen to not participate. And then we have this newer generation of young 20’s who feel like FB is for us “older” people and they do think like “tweet” or “snap chat” instead.
While FB may be a good marketing tool for a certain demographic, there are still many others out there who rely on word of mouth, the paper, radio, or mail to get information and contribute input.
I think about times in my life when I have been happiest. Other than the obvious birth of my children, those times involve things like my deployments to the Dominican Republic and Panama, rafting the Grand Canyon, and climbing the Grand Teton. The common factor: I was unplugged.
Being unplugged allowed me to be more engaged and connected with others, my surroundings, and nature. Can’t we just do that day to day, you ask? Some can, but with technology so integrated in our lives, it’s difficult. For me, it’s a challenge to shut it off.
The best I can do is delete FB from my phone and try really hard to only check it once a day. I like putting my phone and computer away when I get home so I can be more engaged with my family. I can leave it in the car or at home and intentionally unplug.
I could also tap out and go back to a flip phone, which I am not even kidding when I say I have considered it!
Or, I can go outside without it. Walking, running, and mountain biking all rescue me from my technology habit. They also keep me grounded and help me remember what’s important in life.
They help me to remember that random polls, videos, likes, and comments are not reality. Perhaps it is a good representative sample. Perhaps not.
They help me to remember that even though real people are on Facebook, Facebook is not reality.
That good night kiss is reality. A little honey cuddled on your lap is reality. A hot cup of coffee and looking someone in the eye is reality. Abrasions, bruises, and picking cactus out of your knee…now that’s reality.
Even the digger I took was worth it just to be outside, unplugged, and in the middle of nature.
I think so many of us are tethered to our phones, our computers, and Facebook that we forget what reality is.
In fact, I was in a meeting with some City folks and we were discussing marketing for the parking utilization study underway and many of them felt that Facebook was the number one way to market or communicate in Cheyenne.
That made me wonder, is it? What about all of our friends who don’t do social media? We have an entire older generation who don’t use computers at all, let alone smart phones or FB. We have those who have chosen to not participate. And then we have this newer generation of young 20’s who feel like FB is for us “older” people and they do think like “tweet” or “snap chat” instead.
While FB may be a good marketing tool for a certain demographic, there are still many others out there who rely on word of mouth, the paper, radio, or mail to get information and contribute input.
I think about times in my life when I have been happiest. Other than the obvious birth of my children, those times involve things like my deployments to the Dominican Republic and Panama, rafting the Grand Canyon, and climbing the Grand Teton. The common factor: I was unplugged.
Being unplugged allowed me to be more engaged and connected with others, my surroundings, and nature. Can’t we just do that day to day, you ask? Some can, but with technology so integrated in our lives, it’s difficult. For me, it’s a challenge to shut it off.
The best I can do is delete FB from my phone and try really hard to only check it once a day. I like putting my phone and computer away when I get home so I can be more engaged with my family. I can leave it in the car or at home and intentionally unplug.
I could also tap out and go back to a flip phone, which I am not even kidding when I say I have considered it!
Or, I can go outside without it. Walking, running, and mountain biking all rescue me from my technology habit. They also keep me grounded and help me remember what’s important in life.
They help me to remember that random polls, videos, likes, and comments are not reality. Perhaps it is a good representative sample. Perhaps not.
They help me to remember that even though real people are on Facebook, Facebook is not reality.
That good night kiss is reality. A little honey cuddled on your lap is reality. A hot cup of coffee and looking someone in the eye is reality. Abrasions, bruises, and picking cactus out of your knee…now that’s reality.
