Shutdown Day - May 3rd

Elizabeth,

Thank you, I hadn't heard of this. Sounds like some conscious time to be fulfilling myself in another form!

I adore how my computer serves me to connect myself to this amazing global community. And I also know very well that the powerful intention behind connecting to this amazing global community is to truly FEEL CONNECTED, not just make contact. To experience global compassion, feel unconditional love, spread empowerment, encourage dreams and magic, excite vitality, intimacy, wonder, joy and inspire passion and humor about one's life---To hear from the world what it feels like to be fully human--in ALL of its expression. All of which I must acknowledge in myself while I am off of the computer so that I have something to give when I am on it! To truly serve the greater whole, to "spill over", I must be filled up myself!

What will I do? Who knows. It's all a mystery.

make potato chips, build a teepee in my backyard, have a picnic, work in my garden, eat ice cream with chop sticks, dance...?

Write everyone I know and tell them I love them, visit a monastery, pick all the daffodils left in people's yards, rub a stranger's back...?

Usher in a woman spiritual leader who will bring in millions of people in stadiums across the country?

Thank you for the reminder to take a day, or two, or three, or months off of the computer!

I will surely pass it on.

Mahalo! heather

Elizabeth,

This is such a great idea. I do support it in principle and I applaud everyone who can pull this off. I notice that May 3rd is a Saturday, which probably makes it a little easier for most people.

As a writer, I have set-in-stone deadlines to meet, some of them for newspapers whose editors do not understand Shutdown Day or anything else that interferes with getting their paper out on time. It is, though, as Heather says, a reminder to take a little time off and ditch that computer. Who knows? My rare take-a-day-off may just coincide with May 3rd.

It is a wonderful idea and thanks, Elizabeth, for letting clueless people like me know about it.

Never..! I love my PC. =]

It just won't be the same =P

-Andrey

Great idea. I think I'll find a park by the water or go to Ocean Shores for the day, provided that my wireless card and PDA work down there. I'll have to check on that.

Thanks, Rich

There are days when I am out of town or completely busy that I do not turn on or wake up my Mac. I do not have a laptop, but I still think I would not use it outside of presentations to clients or other business. So I see getting away from the computer a good thing.

My brother-in-law use to tease me about my new toy, but now as a professional photographer, he sees the real value of a computer (in this case, a laptop) to work with his pictures for sale and galleries.

vive la internet! no way am i ever going to fail to surf, unless i am the grand canyon or something.

the one exception will be, i hope, mother's day.:)

just

Wow, what a great idea!! Normally, if it isn't raining on a weekend, I am out in the yard or my wood shop and don't bother with kicking on the button, until that evening. Guess I will have to see if I can make it the whole day!!

I think that we all need a personal day of rest from our jobs and careers and everyday life. A day we do things we don't do any of the other days and don't do what we usually do the other days.

But it does seem a bit silly to make this on a non work day for most folks which trivializes it. Perhaps it should have been on May first or May Day or the fifth of May.

Very good points. I usually take Friday afternoons off from work related activities and spend time with my bride. With the upcoming season and if the snow stops, we like going to garage sales together. That is our "DAY OFF".

I just spent over 48 hours without my PowerBook - which is REALLY unusual. We were going camping in our "Get Away Van" to Manzanita, OR for the weekend - and I do usually take my portable office with me. This weekend I just didn't feel like doing so - and, instead, enjoyed the cold beautiful snowy weather at the beach. It's the longest I've been with my computer for about 2 years - I even had it with my one vacations to Italy, the Caribbean and gold mining in Oregon Wallowa Mountains in the past eight months...

Hey Jeff: that's pretty significant! But, if any place on the NW Coast could inspire me to leave my computer off, it'd be the Cannon Beach/Mazanita area. I envy you your relatively close proximity (AND your Get Away Van!).

I went on a week camping trip last summer in the Cascades. I did bring my computer thinking I might do some writing for two hours before the battery died. However, I never even opened it and it was a wonderful change. I wrote the old fashioned way instead, with a pad of paper while sitting on a rock by a waterfall. I am looking forward to doing it again this summer!

On a Saturday, easy. How about we try this Monday morning. Art T.

As indies we could probably go for a Monday- potentially. I'm guessing the Shut Down Day was going for more widespread acceptance, and the vast numbers of people in corporate jobs literally couldn't participate.

Either way, I like it. :) My wife will like it especially.

I'm on it. I'm glad they are doing this again this year. Unfortunately, last year the site was flooded with a bunch of inane and immature comments, but I think it still sparked conversation.

Most of you know my involvement in this topic (as I overly self-promoted the whole Today Show opportunity...see there I go again), but if you are interested in a more thorough assessment of your tech habits, check out our (now free) ebook Visionary Living: Seven Steps Toward's Aligning Your Tech Habits with Your Life's Vision".

Thanks for posting about this Elizabeth! -Leif

i can go 24 hours easy without the computer. i do it regularly actually so that i dont just sit there in front of the computer but get out and do things, read mags, etc.

its a great biz, social and design tool but nothing subs for the in person experience of humans!

I'm just glad I clicked on this so I could see that picture, I love it.

DD

Go without my computer for 24 hours? Possibly. Hopefully the weather will be good so I can take the cameras and the grandkids to the park.

I turn my computer off almost every Saturday for shabbat and I think it is critical for retaining my sanity. Ironically enough, May 3rd is BarCamp at CubeSpace, so I will be working and plugged in that entire day.

Haha, it's sad that the question, can you take 24 hours away from your computer has to be asked.

For me the computer is my work, play and relaxation. But I'm also a man of many talents. I love the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, soccer, frisbee, golf, motorcycle, climbing, running, biking, swimming, camping and I could go on and on and on but with out those activities I wouldn't survive.

Even though my work, play and relaxing is on the computer my goals are in my outdoor activities.

As far scheduling a day without a computer is impossible for me. I never know what I'm going to be doing. But I can tell you a day without a computer would mean I couldn't drive, use my phone, ride my motorcycle, go shopping...though that might be taking this idea to the extreme...ha.

May 3rd-shutdown day. The glory of it all. Does is mean shutting down the TV, the nitendo units for our teenagers, no GPS, cel assistancecel phones ...must I go on.

I remember traveling in the 1980's on the train from Seattle to New York. It was a 2.7 day ride with no distractions but the chatter of other riders, the clatter of the train wheels and glorious views from the windows. I did this trip three times.

Cheers to shut down days. Get the kids involved. They are the ones who will not have had the experience of little blinking lights everywhere.

Ok, now you have my attention! This is a real worthy cause. Let me know if there will be a group gardening plan!

Though I will not be gardening naked on my computer OFF day, I shall partake in the following:

1. Drink margaritas.
2. Eat chips and salsa.
3. Basque in whatever weather there may be.
4. Call an old friend, have a chat... (this seems to not happen when being summoned by work, computer, online networking groups, etc...)

Erin? Basque instead of bask? I'm actually half Basque. :)