My Luddite Weekend

"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone." -- Joni Mitchell

My plans to travel to Columbus this past weekend were shot, so I thought I'd do what I should have done two years ago when I moved into the house, which was unpack numerous boxes of books and shelve them by category. While this was in progress, the router to my high-speed internet access went out, and I was offline. The cable provider said they didn't have anyone available on Saturday (which I don't believe, as I've had people come before on late Saturday afternoon). So I'm stuck waiting until today, when someone will be at the house to receive the cable guy. It will probably involve a five-minute switcheroo, of an old router for a new one.

Meanwhile, I have come to realize what a slave I am to that thing, always checking my usual blogroll stops and other sites several times a day, just so I don't miss any action from people who sit on their duffs just like I do when I checking on the action. I fell behind in my writing, but I sure got a lot of books shelved. I tend to keep the titles of general interest in the living room, along with some general religious titles and a shelf of select works on spirituality. Nothing to arcane, at least not for me. Then on either side of the digital keyboard (in lieu of an upright piano), I have sacred music on one side, and all the other music on the other. Upstairs it where I keep my vast collection of prayerbooks. (Need an old St Joseph's Missal? I can probably spare one.) Also liturgy titles, graphic design and multimedia (including any books from school), the "lifestyle" section (mostly books on architecture and urban planning), plus the scouting library. Finally, a couple of rows of just periodicals. Can't seem to part with certain ones. Good thing I have "web only" subscriptions for some of them now. My computer will be relocated from its temporary place on top of a three-drawer dresser (with the top shelf pulling out for the keyboard), to the armoire in the bedroom opposite the bed.

I also have a "den." Now, what the floor plans call a den usually lacks a window and a closet. This one has both, but it's less than seventy square feet. No wonder Paul wanted to move out. But for now, it's a "holding area," for stuff that needs to be out of the way while I'm doing something else.

It's amazing just how many books I have. Right now I'm missing about one shelf worth of Catholic liturgy titles. It's like I've got the catalog in my head. It might surprise people to know I've actually read, or am reading, most of them. As a child, I was a voracious reader, a trait I've passed on to my son. As a senior in high school, Paul read Plato's Republic, and it wasn't even required. After reading Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You, he decided he was a "christian anarchist." So I introduced him to the Catholic Worker movmement and Dorothy Day. Plus, I got him the DVD to her bio movie starring Moira Kelly and Martin Sheen, Entertaining Angels. Now if he'd just stop bitching and start a revolution...

They say that the print media will become obsolete with the growing acceptance of personal computers. But for people who really love reading, this won't happen. Although I admit, I did have the Palm Pilot to thank for getting through The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes while riding the subway. It was easier than carrying the book.

I imagine myself five years from now. I'll have an industrial-strength laptop for my constant companion. When I'm not connected by wireless card to the world, it will be plugged into a docking port with one large monitor and two smaller ones on either side. The latter would hold all the tool boxes that multimedia people need. Or maybe one on the side will just be tuned into a movie. I could see myself working into the night, talking to a guy in the Philippines about when he's gonna deliver whatever, and another guy in the UK who's five hours ahead of me and waiting for ME to deliver whatever. Then at four in the morning, I'll take a break and go to IHOP. One huge breakfast and another pot of coffee, and I'm good for several more hours.

Hopefully, being over fifty won't get in the way. But for now, at least I can survive without the computer.

Obviously I'd prefer not to.
.