Living life ... a day at a time

I have managed to curb my internet time over the past couple of  days.

My Facebook fast has turned out to be more of a Facebook diet rather than a fast. The truth is, that's what I expected it to be. Not getting notifications on my phone has helped, but I'm finding that I have quite a strong habit of checking Facebook on my phone. I'm considering removing the Facebook app from my phone which would restrict my Facebook exposure to when I have access via my computer.

It's been nice not being on it as often. It does give me more time for living life rather than being drawn into the time suck that Facebook generally becomes.

I've also managed a to reach out and make a few contacts this week. I hope to continue to do that, but it does require more of an effort than you might imagine.

It might sound weird to say that I also have to be purposeful about establishing a quiet time or relaxing meditative time. I would consider an hour smoking a cigar on the deck such a relaxing time. I should plan that as a daily activity!

Even as a retired guy, I usually find that I am being carried along life's flow rather than purposely deciding what I want to do.
And life is easy that way.

Life in the Ozarks is pretty easy, anyway.
There is no daily crisis in my world. I see the destruction of storms that have hit in the southern US and Puerto Rico. I watch the news casts of earthquakes in Mexico and see refugees seeking safety from horrendous life situations in far away parts of  the Earth. Even Las Vegas seems to be an unreal event that happened to people in a far away place.

In many ways, it is too easy to detach ourselves from the problems of others.
I have enough difficulty connecting with those that are in my geographically close community. Connecting to people that are not close to me is nearly impossible. I know that I'm not expected to actually contact those people, but it is difficult to even empathize with them because our worlds are so different.
Somehow, they have to become more real -- more human -- to me. They are a part of my world community. They are a part of my human-ness. How do I begin to see them as more than a sad story on the news?

I ask, because I really don't have the answer.

I think our typical day is:
read a sad story
post a link to a sad story
express outrage about a sad story
maybe send money to a program for the victims of a sad story
have another cup of coffee and go about our day until the next sad story comes our way.

The disconnect is real.
But I'm working on it.

John <><