Stumbling about

Airplane Mode

Over the summer, Katie and I went to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico for a little rest and relaxation. It had been years since I’d gone on a vacation, and I’m not sure Katie ever has. It was time to recharge the batteries.

Katie turned on her international calling plan, I didn’t. So for the entire trip my phone sat idle…in Airplane Mode. Not off, just Airplane Mode.

We had a great time. We read great books, we ate great meals, we met great people.

Something I love to do when I travel is watch soccer. The energy, the spirit, the enthusiasm. It’s invigorating. And it’s a time when I can be “that guy.”

In Mexico, in typical American fashion, I beat my chest and declared supreme dominance as the US led Mexico 2-0 at half time during the Gold Cup…only, again in typical American fashion, to be completely embarrassed as Mexico came back to win 4-2 during the second half. For one Mexican fan, this became a running gag. Every time he saw me, he would hurry over to someone nearby and say, “Por favor, tratarlo bien. Podría llorar porque el partido de fútbol” (Please treat him well. He might cry because of the football game.) All in all, terrific time. But I digress…

As we prepared to depart and head back to reality, I noticed that my phone had nearly the same battery life as it had when we arrived 4 days earlier. Surprising. I hadn’t charged it. It just sat in Airplane Mode – disconnected from the world. The iPhone battery typically lasts me less than a day so this made me think.

Connectedness can be empowering. I can be reached by anyone, at anytime, anywhere, in many different ways. Email, phone, Facebook, blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter, SMS, Foursquare, you name it. At one point, I even had a phone number for my Second Life avatar – that’s a true story. Empowering? Yes. Draining? Yes. My phone told me so (as did my avatar).

The world is moving faster than ever, and the natural inclination is to follow its pace. Maybe it’s best to slow down to speed up. At least sometimes. Observe, reflect, relax. All good things. I’m reading 4 books right now. Where’s the reflection in that? Unlike my phone, I don’t have a slider for Airplane Mode, or at least I haven’t found it yet. Maybe soon. Until then, I’ll just have to keep an eye on my battery life.

December 21, 2011 at 8:10 am 5 comments