The Technology Transition

When I started blogging again and decided to write about the vintage lifestyle which I am quickly becoming more engrained I could already tell there would be aspects of life which would change for me over the months.

I am a social media addict, I adore it, even down to seeing what people have had for dinner and those other posts which many find tedious. Now that I am blogging I have upped my social media game with Twitter and Instagram in addition to my own Facebook. Two words which strike terror into my heart - Lost & Phone! 

Part of the reason that I am so pro social media is that it was Facebook which lead me to the wonderful vintage group I belong to. A year later and I have met lots of fabulous new friends and am enjoying a much more varied social life. It wouldn’t have happened without social media.

But this obviously flies completely in the face of the era. There are lots of opinions on what the vintage "lifestyle" actually is and a small number people are very keen to impress upon you that you should be all or nothing and as authentic as possible.

For those who live authentically, well that's just fabulous and good for you for living how you want too. To any person choosing a carpet sweeper over a Dyson for authenticities sake, I salute you! 

For the rest of us who cannot or do not want to live a truly authentic existence because we love our phones, TV's, deep baths and clothing that has never graced a mangle that's fine too!  

Just don't listen to the kinds of people who tell you you should be doing something differently, you'll find them in both camps and it's all tosh! As much as I think I would like to be a housewife I have to earn a salary and cannot stay at home making cakes. Oh how’d like to (for about a day) then I'd want to go back to work I am sure! 

I say that you should just do whatever you feel is fun, whatever makes your life enjoyable and if elements of the vintage lifestyle bring joy to you then indulge in them. 

However I have learnt this month that there is something to be said for stepping further back in time every once in a while, and this happened entirely by accident. A couple of weeks ago I look the day off and my brother and I spent the whole day in London. It was only when I got to the station I realised I had left my phone at home and I was horrified. 

Shockingly for at least 30 minutes I felt a genuine sense of panic .  There was nothing I could do, I had to suck it up and my brother commented that it would be nice not to have phones for the day and agreed to keep his in his pocket. 

I thought I would be bored, that even with all our plans, the day was going to stretch out in front of me like a wifi-less sahara. In fact the opposite happened, I did reach for my phone to take a photo or check facebook almost like a reflex but I quickly adjusted to the idea of not having it with me. 

In fact in the end it was quite an attractive prospect for the day, no one could reach me, no one could interrupt me, I was incognito - effectively private browsing in my own life! Honestly it was liberating and I'd advise people to try it. 

I also realised on route to Cardiff recently that I had forgotten my earphones. My phone serves as my diary, a directions advisory service and very importantly my source of music. I listen to music everywhere I go, in the supermarket, walking around shops, on any kind of transport. 

When I realised I had forgotten them I was so disappointed. My brain was telling me off, two whole hours on a train with no music! There is one thing I know for certain in these circumstances...someone will want to strike up a conversation. I vowed to buy some earphones when I got to Cardiff. 

At the first stop out of London a gentleman got on the train and almost immediately started talking to me. He commented about his journey, about the weather, about how much he disliked David Cameron. Then he started asking me about my outfit, did I always dress that way? what got me into it? wasn't it nice to be a little different? 

As he was from Cardiff I took the opportunity to ask him about the city and any recommendations he might have, he was so helpful and wrote the road names of some places down for me on a scrap of paper. 

In what seemed like no time at all we'd arrived  and he wished me a pleasant stay as we said goodbye at the taxi rank. It occurred to me that I wouldn't have had the conversation with my London "don't bother me" face on and my earphones in so I decided not to buy any and see what happened. 

Over the weekend I spoke to so many people, a lady on the bus, people in the street (It’s very friendly in Cardiff and more than one person stopped me to say they liked my look which made my day) but if I had been plugged into my earphones, music blaring, would anyone have bothered? 

I think because I looked more approachable and less unavailable that people were more inclined too strike up conversation. So I spent the whole weekend without having the musical barrier that I normally put up and it really got me to thinking about how much I rely on technology. 

I guess what these two days have taught me is that whilst I love some aspects of technology I don’t have to love them all the time, by opening my eyes and ears for a couple of days I was able to enjoy the moments and experiences by being in them, rather than updating about them. There is always time to share later.

So I am making a commitment to have more of a technological balance in my life and will start by having two nights per week where I don't engage with Facebook, Instagram or any other social media channel. 

In a funny way it’s a small step to adopting a more vintage way of living, I will never be one of those who doesn’t have a phone but I will take a break from it every now and again and enjoy doing so. 

I wonder if I read this back in a years time other things will have changed for me?

Love

RB

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