There was a TV commercial I saw recently showing a family going on vacation. The kids panic when they realize there will be no wireless service at their destination and they might actually have to talk to each other. Gasp! The HORROR!! It puts a spotlight on how the internet, social media, instant electronic communication and connectivity has become woven into the fabric of our lives. The message hit home this week when we lost our wi-fi service.
The evening began like most weekday evenings in our home, talking a bit about our day over dinner, then retreating to our separate electronic universes. I first noticed a problem with my tablet not being able to connect with Facebook. I had just looked up something online while on the phone with my Father so at first I thought it was a technical glitch with their website. However, it quickly became apparent we were experiencing a service outage. There were no storms, no cable trucks parked outside, hopefully it would be back on shortly. For me, it is an irritation for service to be out and I have my smart phone for backup. For my husband, who is heavily involved in all things tech, it is closer to world apocalypse (I exaggerate, but it’s a much bigger deal to him). He got through the first hour with minimal stress, but then the twitching started.
A phone call to our internet provider gave no relief, as there were no outages in our area. We would have to schedule an appointment with a technician, which would require one of us to be home from work, which was not possible for either of us this particular week. Well! This was going to be more than an annoyance. While there are some things that are easily done on a smart phone, there are other things that are better (or even necessary) using a tablet, laptop or desktop computer. Besides, we have data limits on our smart phones which we did not want to use up on less than essential searches (such as “how many legs on a centipede”, or “what can we build with 34 ice cream sticks”). My husband streams shows and podcasts on a nightly basis, so he was suddenly adrift. He couldn’t think of anything to say or do, so the first night he went to bed very early.
Over the next few days, I was amazed to discover how much I truly rely on our online service. Because it is so ingrained into my life, I don’t think about it until it’s gone, which I suppose is true with so many things we take for granted such as electrical power, water, etc. I took walks after dinner and interacted with people in the park. I called my parents twice in one week, which automatically raised suspicion because that is not our normal routine.
“What’s wrong dear?”
“Mom, our internet is down!”
“Oh good, we thought maybe you were sick or something.”
I finished a book that I had started reading a few months ago. I met a friend for coffee. I went to Happy Hour with my co-workers. I spent extra time with our animals. I had a fun week!
Yesterday, toward the end of the time window I’d been given for a technician to show up (do they EVER come at the beginning?), their truck pulled into our driveway. The Angels sang Hallelujah (or maybe it was just the doorbell ringing) and within 45 minutes, we were wired again. I have to admit I’m grateful to be plugged back in but it was also nice to take a break and take the time to connect with people face to face. I will be doing that more often.