As much as I’ve enjoyed Facebook over the years, I have to say the last few months it’s grown to be exhausting.
Do I really have the energy to put up with all of your complaints during Corona-stress? 😎 For a time I did as I have a genuine concern for all of you. But there’s a time to refresh one’s batteries and ‘deactivate’ for awhile. My old Facebook profile is still there… just resting.
Music
A college choir I was in worked on a choral piece last month for which we each videoed our part and sent along to the producer, a fellow alum. They’ll be put soon enough into the grand whole where we’ll all sing together, once again, “Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans.”
Several of us commented that going through it, the piece was achingly slow. Back when we sang it in the 80’s the pace was fine – easy, relaxed, meandering like the lazy Mississippi. It never felt slow, or lazy.
Letters
Around the same time last month, I was organizing some things in the Rectory and came across an old stack of letters from pen-pals through the years. I was struck by how much everyone had written, and thought about how unoften I actually write things anymore, except to take notes during lectures, classes, meetings. I remember spending evenings writing thoughtful letters, poems, silly stories. My grandmother Allen and I wrote all the time, big newsy things that were always fun.
But the choir-song-that-seemed-slow wasn’t slow at all; it’s the world that’s sped up. And the reason I don’t sit around writing letters or stories or newsy items is because of things like Facebook, and the Internet – which can produce just as much of a dopamine high as anything else.
Basically, what I’ve found to be a good way to relax during corona stress is to slow down.
Entering into His Rest
Turn off the tv, turn off the 24/7 everything, turn off the internet, the video games, the whatever, etc. Eat well, rest well, stay away from caffeine, alcohol, all the vices. A month of doing so can help reset dopamine sensitivity, you know, and bring about renewed peace and enjoyment of life. Everything has speeded up, and everyone’s complaining about nothing. Especially on Facebook. And it’s all because we’re depleting out dopamine stores I tell you, living fast and non-stop.
It’s a great time to get back to basics, and to make better time for prayer, also.
With that, I’m off to do some reading.
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