Life, or a reasonable facsimile

My first blog lasted a year and a hundred-odd posts.  I have been blogging for about 15 months this go-round, churning out 150 posts before this one.

I stopped blogging the first time because I noticed that I was spending more and more time living a virtual life, and less and less time living my real life.  Technology is a greedy beotch.

Balance is the word I chose for 2012.  And I am not living up to it. 

I'm blogging and Pinteresting and Facebooking and message boarding and emailing and Youtubing and Googling.  It's all too much.

I enjoy blogging because it's a creative outlet.  This blog is "me".  It's all audacity and wordplay and sarcasm and joy-seeking.

But I love my real life more than my virtual life, and I can't seem to walk the line between the two.

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I've been that mom who stays up really late blogging (3am) and then sleeps too late (11am) only to jump back on the computer to check for blog comments as I'm eating my peanut butter oatmeal.

I've been that wife who says, "Sure, I'll put your clean clothes up when I'm done with this," only to drag my computer-zombie ass to bed with nary a pant hung up.

I've been that homeschooler who creates exciting learning plans for the day only to realize at 4pm that all I've accomplished is the drawing of a bad cartoon and some witty Facebook updates.

I've been that friend who says, "Yeah, I'll meet your kids after school," only to show up 10 minutes late because I "just have to finish this one thing" online.

I've been that driver who returns text messages at red lights, and if I'm being honest, who has even texted while driving a few times.

I've been that family member who plays online like a teenager instead of helping a tired, sore loved one with housework. 

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I don't do balance very well.

I was already turning this over in my mind when I found handsfreemama.com.  I was really touched by what I read.  Especially How to Miss a Childhood and A Well Loved Child.  

I think I happened across this blog because I needed confirmation of what my heart was telling me.  I need a break from technology.  I want it to be an option, not a daily requirement. 

I need to be more present in my real life. 

So I'm taking the summer off, y'all.  I'm going to spend these months slathering my white ass with sunscreen, reading a lot of good books, splashing at the pool with Nature Boy, and enjoying BBQ with my family and friends.

But do not despair, dear readers.  I'll be back come fall with plenty of steaming fresh crap to say.

Have a wonderful summer and stay tuned for weekly oldie-but-goodie reposts!