So for a while now, unless their was a work obligation, emergency, or important family event, I did not drive on Shabbat. That is a truer statement in the summers than winters due to commute and work hours. So for those days, when I got home after the official start of Shabbat, mine started the moment I got home. It was an interesting line to draw since we have not kashered our house, nor did we place any restrictions on the use of electronics, such as computers, phones, iPads and the like. But it was a step. More recently I started wearing my kippah more often. No to work. Well yesterday I did, since I went to shul in the morning before work and forgot to take it off. I don’t think I even realized I had it on, until I got back to shul to hear a talk by 4 of the area Rabbis. Anyway, as I said, I have been wearing it more often. It started as all day on Shabbat, then more recently, I extended it to Sundays. OK to be fair sometimes I just through on a baseball cap. So Melissa and I juts had a long talk and we are taking it to the next level. No I haven’t gotten her to agree to keep a Kosher house, but we did agree to give up electronics. No more TV, computers, iPhones, iPads, and etc…
This is going to be a really big step, and I am not sure how it will impact my writing. I suspect it will slow it down unless I can make other accommodations during the week. The way this started was Melissa was regularly complaining that I was pretty much permanently attached to to one of my iDevices. She didn’t feel like I was fully present, if while talking to her or playing with the kids, I was also looking at my home. This is hard for me, my brain needs constant stimulation. Its not like I am not truly present. I can listen to an audiobook while reading something else and follow both. Being ADD does have its disadvantages, but it is not without its advantages as well. But some of those advantages are a double edge sword. Looking at my iPhone gives the appearance that I am not paying attention. My ability to hyper focus makes me very productive at work, or whatever project I take on, like writing a new book, but I get lost in time. I end up in the office until all hours and Melissa will have to call me upstairs from my computer multiple times.
But here is the thing, for one day (25 hours) I can do it. I know I can. I can put it down. Monday through Friday is not possible with work and besides I am not home much of the time anyway. So that leaves the weekend. I wanted to do more, so adding to our Shabbat seem a perfect comprise. We start this week!
