A Little Wake-up Call
I'm brand new to this blogging thing. I decided to start this blog because my job frequently takes me on the road and I thought it would be fun to chronicle my adventures along the way. I decided to call it "off the grid" since that's exactly where I usually end up. But one lazy afternoon at the community pool, I came to realize the name also has another meaning. Going "off the grid" can mean simply - disconnecting. Ditching the phones and tablets that we're all so focused on and pay attention to what's happening around us. I am really making a concerted effort to do this myself - especially when I'm with my kids. And let me tell you, after a recent scare with my 3 year old in the baby pool, I'm glad I am.
My daughter is 3 and she loves the pool. Not the big pool. The "little" pool as she likes to call it. She also loves hanging onto any type of flotation device she can get her grubby little hands on. One afternoon she got a hold of one those pool noodles - you know, those colorful foam flotation devices that are so popular right now. She was acting like it was a horse - and she was pretending to ride it with the noodle in between her legs as she galloped around. I didn't think much of it until she lost her balance and the noodle forced her leg up on top of the water and she was face down and didn't have the strength to pull herself back up. The following seconds of my life were like they were in slow motion. I got up and went to her as her little floating, lifeless body was face down in the water. I couldn't move fast enough. Luckily, out of nowhere, a gentleman picked her up and handed her to me. I took her in my arms and noticed she was shaken, but absolutely fine. Me on the other hand, I was completely freaked.
I write this for a couple of reasons. First, as a warning that these flotation devices are NOT going to save your child from drowning. But I also write this because had I been glued to my phone - as I see EVERYONE doing these days - the outcome could have been very different. I so want to go up to some people - parents in particular - and ask them, "what in the world is so interesting that you would rather be reading what's on your phone than participate in what's happening around you?" We as a society are so fascinated by what other people are doing and checking in on social media that we fail to realize that life is happening all around us. Hell, we can't even put our phones down when we're driving let along when sitting by the pool. It forced me to ask the question: are we missing out on living our lives? I have a sneaky suspicion that maybe we are. Trust me, I'm guilty of it too. I get on my phone and I get sucked in. I can get on Pinterest and get lost for hours. But I do think we all need to re-evaluate what's important in life. I'm hoping this blog will force me and maybe someone out there reading this to put the gadgets away and get out there and play. Take a trip to a place you have never heard of before or just go outside for a moment alone. Let's force ourselves to explore all the possibilities of going "off the grid" from time to time to see what happens. Hell, maybe we'll even like it.
My daughter is 3 and she loves the pool. Not the big pool. The "little" pool as she likes to call it. She also loves hanging onto any type of flotation device she can get her grubby little hands on. One afternoon she got a hold of one those pool noodles - you know, those colorful foam flotation devices that are so popular right now. She was acting like it was a horse - and she was pretending to ride it with the noodle in between her legs as she galloped around. I didn't think much of it until she lost her balance and the noodle forced her leg up on top of the water and she was face down and didn't have the strength to pull herself back up. The following seconds of my life were like they were in slow motion. I got up and went to her as her little floating, lifeless body was face down in the water. I couldn't move fast enough. Luckily, out of nowhere, a gentleman picked her up and handed her to me. I took her in my arms and noticed she was shaken, but absolutely fine. Me on the other hand, I was completely freaked.
I write this for a couple of reasons. First, as a warning that these flotation devices are NOT going to save your child from drowning. But I also write this because had I been glued to my phone - as I see EVERYONE doing these days - the outcome could have been very different. I so want to go up to some people - parents in particular - and ask them, "what in the world is so interesting that you would rather be reading what's on your phone than participate in what's happening around you?" We as a society are so fascinated by what other people are doing and checking in on social media that we fail to realize that life is happening all around us. Hell, we can't even put our phones down when we're driving let along when sitting by the pool. It forced me to ask the question: are we missing out on living our lives? I have a sneaky suspicion that maybe we are. Trust me, I'm guilty of it too. I get on my phone and I get sucked in. I can get on Pinterest and get lost for hours. But I do think we all need to re-evaluate what's important in life. I'm hoping this blog will force me and maybe someone out there reading this to put the gadgets away and get out there and play. Take a trip to a place you have never heard of before or just go outside for a moment alone. Let's force ourselves to explore all the possibilities of going "off the grid" from time to time to see what happens. Hell, maybe we'll even like it.
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