Exposed, without Electronics

A boss once told me to put the last paragraph first and that would make it better, so here it is. The conclusion I seem to have reached is that I retreat to the screen for activities that can fill my day and give me some semblance of achievement without taking any personal risk.  There, I think that sums it up very well.

Probably a short piece, I don't know now just how many words this thought will take. I'm thinking about a day without electronics, i.e. no PC, no phone, no TV, no Radio.  Now that would be a challenging day.  I'm imagining now how that would be.

Up in the morning, without the aid of an alarm clock but then that's how it is now.  Then going through the morning ritual of making coffee and toilette.  An electric shaver is OK because it is basically an electric motor and not electronic.  Then dressing and going out to get the paper.  After a short interval of writing my log for activities of yesterday, reading the current acting book, and doing my chiropractic stretches,  I would then make breakfast and read the newspaper while we eat.

There are no electronics involved in any of this, at least if I don't succumb to Facebook, Email, and Suduko puzzles on my tablet.  Not doing these will be a challenge because it is my normal routine. The newspaper is such an abbreviated version of the news and lacks anything that happened after about 10 PM but I suppose I can do without the tablet news if this is what I want.

Then it's off to do the day.  The first challenge will be to remember what it was I wanted to accomplish since I won't access my digital assistant to remind me of tasks and appointments.  This shouldn't be much of a problem since I keep a good list in my head of what I want to do and where I have to be.

The next challenge will be to work "on paper" instead of doing things on my PC.  I spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the screen; Facebook, Email, Blogger Dashboard, and then writing or doing Voice auditions.

These last two may get some dispensation from the ban because they are productive, and I mean in the sense of possibly making money from doing them.  The real challenge will be to limit the usage to just that which is required to achieve the objective of finishing auditions or blog post.  Then there's the Voice work and script learning, also enhanced by using recorded exercises.  These too would be exempt from the ban.  So, the ban is lifted for productive activities only.  Now that I've introduced an exeption, or four, the real test is going to be to limit the screen time to just those.

Now for the real challenge of the day, Television.  It will be extremely difficult for me to remain constructively active for all the time that is available off-screen.   For the occasional day, like this one would be, I can involve me in maintenance activities such as cleaning out files, discarding stuff I no longer need or want, and doing chores around the place.  I can also do exercise, which I normally do anyway, and involve myself in activities supportning other Endeavors such as practicing pool, reciting verses and lines, reading more of the acting books, reviewing information already gleaned from books and put in notebooks.

For a longer abstinence, more imagination would be required.  After the chores are done, the books read and reviewed,  the verses recited, the pool game practiced to the point of diminishing returns; it may be necessary to get involved with other beings, human or other.  And this, my friend, would be where the challenge would be the greatest.

I've already alluded to, admitted to, confessed to, said that making contact, for other than a response to another, is difficult for me to do.  Yet rationally I know that I am not a pariah, that others don't roll their eyes when I call, don't evade my contact but rather enjoy hearing from me.  Yet there is this gnawing persona in me who thinks they do and, therefore, does whatever he can to avoid doing it.

This aversion goes beyond the casual contact with others and raises its head even higher in the gender arena.  I have a difficult enough time contacting another man without a strong purpose; contacting a woman is out of the question and I mean seriously so.  I even have an aversion to talking to my own daughters for fear that I will somehow offend them; and they seem to be offended easily.  So, I don't call women without a good reason to do so.

This is all rather sad.  There are so many fun things that one can do with others, men and women, that are spontaneous.  It isn't like I'd be asking for money or commitments of any kind.  Although even these shouldn't get in the way but they do.

Then the seeming approach-ability of the other gets in the way as well.  This brings up a whole new tray of obstacles to action.  I don't even want to get into this area of superior/inferior feelings; it's better left for a discussion with a competent adviser or counselor.