Ordinarily, I would have opened my lap top and checked Facebook while drinking my coffee. Then I would have read a book from my Kindle. Obviously, laptops and Kindles are not allowed during a digital sabbath so I resorted to the old fashion communication tool, the written word. I browsed through the latest Time magazine before reading a chapter in, "The Catcher in the Rye."
 |
| My reading material and my green tea started my Saturday out in a good way. |
Although the reading time was nice, I felt a little less connected to the world. I didn't have a way to find out the latest news. I don't even receive a newspaper and if I did, that news would already be almost a day old.
After a breakfast of pan cakes, my boyfriend, Stephen, and my daughter, Caroline and I went to the Newton library to vote. We stood in line for 45 minutes. While we were waiting, I wanted to make phone calls and text some of the parents of my Girl Scouts to discuss the event that we had planned for that evening. I did not use my cell phone to place any calls but I did have to answer some calls and texts that came from parents concerning the event. There are always last minute questions from parents so I knew I would have to use my phone somewhat on this day concerning the Girl Scout event. I felt like I was not giving out as much information to the parents as I should because I was trying not to use my phone.
 |
| The traditional "I Voted" sticker. |
We walked on stilts made of two large cans with strings tied to them. May daughter was much better at this than me (see Caroline on stilts in picture below). We made funny hats out of brown paper and duct tape. Plastic zip-lock bags with duct tape wrapped around them was a useful craft that gave us something to carry all of our goodies in. You will see Junior Girl Scout, Heaven Wylie modeling the hat and the duct tape purse in one of the pictures that I included.
Cadet Girl Scout, Allison Killian, is shown learning a new weaving technique. I tried this as well but determined that I would need many more digital sabbatical days in order to find enough time to practice this skill.
 |
| Caroline Tallent walking on stilts. |
 |
| Heaven Wylie models her new hat and purse. |
 |
| Allison learns a new skill. |
 |
| Tina Tallent and Talor Black - going back in time. |
Our Girl Scout troop got a glimpse of the past by having our pictures taken with our faces inserted into cutout, life-size photos of the founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, and two of her original Girl Scouts. I think if we still had to dress like they did, none of us would want to be Girl Scouts. In the photo that I included here, one of our troop members is standing so that her shadow looks like it is looming over us in an authoritative manner, as if to say that we have been caught!
I set an example for the girls of staying active and trying something new by attempting to maneuver a spinning toy that you attach to your ankle and jump over repetitively. I felt a since of accomplishment that I did not fall on my face. My daughter was supposed to be taking a picture of me while I demonstrated the ankle jump rope. Instead of taking my picture, she mischievously took a video of me instead. I can not explain her comments on the video. All I can say is, she is a creative ten-year-old.
 |
| I love fresh veggies! |
As the event ended, it became impossible to keep from using my cell phone. Parents expected to be able to get in touch with me in order to find our exactly when we would be back or what part of the fairgrounds they needed to come to so they could pick up their daughter. I guess the absence-from-cell-phone-use part of my sabbatical was the biggest failure of the day. We just rely too heavily on them.
After I dropped off all of the girls, I stopped by a vegetable stand and treated myself to some fresh vegetables. I can never seem to find the time to do this. But since I could not spend time on the computer, I knew I would have time to cook!
Of course after cooking, I had to wash dishes. I did them by hand instead of using the dish washer. This chore did not save me any time. :-(
 |
| The dish washer is much easier. |
But after the clean-up, I took the time to go through some clothes and start a box of donations for the local Good Will.
 |
| I needed to clean out my closet. |
All of this time with no computer or phone to use, gave me more time for my family, friends, and chores. This was a day that I was very connected to people around me. I didn't have a chance to get lonely but I still felt a little unconnected to the world around me. I couldn't contact a lot of the usual people that I talk to on a daily basis and I didn't know what the latest drama was in the presidential race.
Overall, the assignment was not a bad experience. However, I would not like to live without digital technology every day. Too much of our every day routine depends on digital technology to make all of our plans run smoothly. There are people that I would never get to talk to if I didn't talk to them on social networking sites. No, I would not want to go backwards in the digital technology world.
In the world of education, we need to be able to use the latest digital technology. It can help us communicate with students, their parents, and school staff. Digital technology can help us provide a better lesson and keep school interesting for the students. However, we should not loose the valuable ability to reach out to the people who are real and right in front of us. This skill is perhaps the most important one of all.
