Logging off! And, we’re, BACK, returning to his former way of life, before the DISCONNECT, translated…
Actually, Before the Disconnect, I Was Already, Away from the Crowds………
The start of this was, as I went to wait for the busses, the app that showed the busses arriving wouldn’t update. I’d just finished attending a hot-blooded literary movement, I’d still felt the raging waves inside, I got on the bus, turned on my cell, wanting to see if there are any, feedbacks, there wasn’t any. Other than feeling odd, I’d found there’s an unread text: “Dear Client, You’d Used Up Your Quota to Surf Online, Please Purchase More Credits Through Customer Services”.
what that looked like, not my photo…
A New Life that Started After Logging Out
Turns out, must’ve, maxed out my usage with the few videos I’d downloaded at the start of the month. Watching the students, the back of their heads, cramped onto a small cell phone screen, laughing and texting, I’d turned my head toward the windows, and watched everything fly by, felt, that my shoulder and my eyes, didn’t feel as sore as it had a short while ago.
Actually, before the disconnect, I was already, living away from the crowd, reason being, that I had too many doubt, toward the matter-of-fact things in life. For instance, as I was at work in the building, I’d wondered, why can’t my office open the windows, to keep the air flowing? “Stop thinking too much, that is how work is!”, this was the reply I received, after I’d voiced my concerns.
There was another time, I was going to the meeting room for a meeting, I’d not needed my computer for a long time, I’d turned it off, and people around me started looking in, “Who doesn’t turn on the computer when at work?” “You do NOT need to save up on the electricity for the office!”
I got off the bus, and alighted the train, and, between dozing off and waking up, the past came back to me, feeling compelled, to find out what my life is about made me send in my resignation. This made me believe, that comparing to my life experiences after leaving the crowd, not having my internet usage on my cell is nothing. The train clinked along, I’d supported myself with my elbow against the windows, recalling how strong and sturdy I was once, and there was a voice: “Logging off is a brand new way of life, I won’t go to customer services for it.”
I’d walked home from the station, pressed the power button on my computer, open up the window, wipe away my sweat, taking my shirt off, waited for the sound to come, to tell me that the computer’s turned on, then I’d sat down, to quench that thirst, from not being able to read my messages on the trains. It was around eight in the evening, I’d sent a few photos to my contacts, then started making the drafts for the literature promotion activities. The keyboard started clacking, my sweat dripped down from my chin. As the towel around my neck soaked the sweat up, I’d missed those times at the office, with the company of my coworkers, along with the free air-conditioning.
Reconnect, to the Old Way of Life
“Sir, your internet service won’t be set up until the first of next month, you can buy 1GB for $250N.T.s right now, it’s the eighth day, since my reconnect, I’d stood in front of the counter of the phone companies, begging for help, but I’d replied sturdily to the service rep, “It’s okay, I’ll just wait until next month.” This was like saying I won’t contact my ex-girlfriend after we broke up, but I’d still (done what I couldn’t help myself in doing), a sign of weakness.
Becoming this useless version of me, because it was too inconvenient, during the few days I was disconnected. Before I gathered with friends, I’d needed to text my number to my friends, so they can phone me if there’s something up; or, I’d needed to risk how my friends believed that my account had been hacked in, and asked my friends for their digits directly.
One of the days, I’d made a date for a midnight snack at a bar, I arrived with a friend first, then, we ran out of usage quota one by one, and couldn’t contact the rest of the group. Later on, the waiter told us, that the store has free wi-fi, after we’d punched in the passwords, the alert sounds started coming, we both hollered aloud, “Ahhhhhhh, it’s so nice to have internet access!”
yup, exactly like that! Not my sketch…
Even so, I’d still kept that $250N.T. to the end of the month rule for myself, maybe it’s because I actually, longed for the undisturbed sense of raw freedom I receive from not being kidnapped by the internet. For instance, during those twenty some odd days, I’d needed to go to a place I’d never gone before, and I was able to get there successfully by mapping out the routes beforehand, and my sense of direction when I was driving there; I’d found, that as I kept my head leveled on the rides, there seemed, to be beautiful women by the numbers. It’s that freedom from getting my brain power and sense of direction back again, opening up my field of vision, and the freedom from the sores in my shoulders and neck. And, if I don’t go online, my phone batteries can last for three to five days at a time.
To the next month, as my internet usage restarted, I’d pushed myself to go without it for a couple more days, felt, that I’d given my own strong will its exercises, then, I’d started taking out my cell when I rode on the busses. First, I’d keyed to reply to the messages at work, then, to connect with a few friends, as I’d done my keying in, my cell phone became, “calmer”, and, there’s only, five percent of battery left, and thus I’d, initiated my old way of life.
time for that needed de-tox! Not my photograph…
The scenes outside the windows are as usual, I’m not sure if there are an increased number of hotties on the trains, I’d connected my cell to the mobile batteries, and took it out of my pockets, unlocked, and checked. My shoulders and eyes started feeling a bit sorer, but I’d still wanted to see, what important messages, I’d missed out on………(naturally, there was, NO important messages I’d, missed!)
So, you were, kidnapped by your cell phone, until you ran out of your usage quota, then, you forced yourself to start living an alternative way of life, logging off, and for this experience, you’d gotten a different look on things, and yet, as soon as you were reconnected, you can’t help, but fall back, into your old habits again, and you’re still, STUCK in that vicious cycle, of being KIDNAPPED by your cellphone!
Life, the Obstacle Course 