In the world we live in now, things are much different from when I grew up. I can only fathom what my senior citizen parents think at this point. Watching their lives go from complete simplicity to this technical barrage has to be mesmerizing. A good friend recently commented that even watching old "Sex In The City" episodes is a lesson in how far we've advanced. She reflected on a particular sketch where Carrie was seeking a pay phone. Both our eyes buckled as the realization unfolded; I mean, when was the last time you actually saw a pay phone??
That said, imagine trying to go one hour without anything electronic?
I take Earth Hour literally each year and completely turn off all lights and electronics for one hour. This year was particularly challenging because "Kiddo" didn't fall asleep (right away anyway).
My teen is addicted to his cell and laptop.
He moaned all day. "So, what are we going to be doing?"
This kid who has no pension for imagination and had to be engaged and participatory. Earth Hour is a mandate in our home. Having admitted earlier in the week that when he was a smaller "kiddo" he "REALLY DIDN'T" SEE anything when we used to lay in the park "IMAGINING" what animal the clouds was a heart stopper. Luckily, we were able to reach an amicable conclusion to our dilemma - WALL PUPPET THEATER!
Now, Kiddo's lack of imagination is, in mine eyes, societal. I encouraged him to pretend, but somehow, along the way, videos, cartoons, and the like took over.
Having spent countless uninterrupted hours of imagination, I have no idea how this generation dreams, but for one hour this weekend, Earth Hour, our fingers morphed into bunny rabbits, sharks, whales, and gargoyles!
We laughed. We were consumed with silliness and stories. We shared and gobbbled up the chance to be uninterrupted.
Candle light flickered while our entire city went dark in a statement that we DO love our planet. We love what has blessed us and held us.
We love our families and the lifestyles we've grown to treasure, but I think we also learned that should our efforts fail and we be reduced to times of the past, essentially life in the dark - simple and uncharged, love will remain and we will survive.
Our Earth Hour lasted an hour and a half. Fun was had ... and then he remembered he had a cell phone and **poof** he was gone - just like that!
I was thankful for the moment and then life resumed being a crazy cyclone.
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