UnZombifying

My fantastic mother-in-law, Catherine, is the queen of real living. She is connected to LIFE. Recently she posted about LIFE and being aware of what television/digital use does to us and our children. She's not talking about going into the Dark Ages (obviously, because she blogged about this), but she is suggesting that we have lost touch with LIFE. I highly recommend her posts:

Pictures of LIFE (and I can attest that they show how it is in the Zvirzdin home—wrestling, going outside, growing a garden, swimming, fishing, talking, working together, eating together, being together)

79 Things to Do without a Gadget

Observations on Digital Media from a Mother of 7 Boys and Grandmother of 3 Boys

Responsibilities of Parents: Be with Your Children and Teach Them Yourself

Granted, some of those 79 things are extremely difficult to do when in the Foreign Service because of the nature of some posts. I have recently (the bid list having come out) been contemplating what life might be like in places where security and malaria are serious issues. Some post reports have said that bringing a whole slew of DVDs is a must. I don't really want to live like that. There must be another way.

And don't get me wrong. I like White Collar and MacGyver and I have my favorite movies (Truman Show and Megamind), but there will always be something else to watch—something good, perhaps, but always at the expense of something better.

Thanks, Catherine. I think I'll go make my own list of non-gadgety things to do.