Freedom from the Black Box

Having typed high school essays on a typewriter (yes, it’s true), I remember life before email, iPhones, iPads, and those lovely blinking Blackberrys that stay on tables in people’s hands during meals. During most of my working life, email has been a necessary way to get more done during the course of a business day.
But lately, I’m growing to resent the time I spend looking at that black box that is the computer screen. The more I look at it, the less life I have outside of it. The scary thing is that your life atrophies while you are typing away at the black keys and you hardly notice. Suddenly when you get up from the desk, there are no people around you, no one to call, or to meet up with. You’ve shut your machine off and your entire world.

I know lots of people are ranting about this overly technological age and how we never have weekends anymore or holidays away from the office because of all our devices.

But it’s true.

I would rather spin my words into a manuscript (as I’m trying to eek out 15,000 more words on a deadline) or into a person’s ear than in those tiny Outlook envelopes that get sent around the company. Having worked at a multinational for a year and a half, I’m no longer going to evaluate my day by the number of messages left in any of my inbox(es).

Any suggestions on new measuring sticks for a productive day?

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Reader Comments

  1. Stuart Aken

    Trust to your instincts. If it feels like you’ve had a good and productive day, you have. Life is far simpler than we all try to make it.
    By the way, I came here via the Writers & Artists website and you should know that your link from there takes you to your old blog and a link that no longer works.
    Writers: we are all so busy.

    • Mohanalakshmi

      Thanks Stuart for the encouragement and for the note about the link. Have asked them to update it at WAYB. It’s true that life is simple when you’re able to drown out the rat race. A lot of writing done today and hopefully for the next week or so. And for you as well!

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