Making space for Technology & making a sacred place to live without it...

In my last blog post I discussed using the iphone to help facilitate my tefillah connection with Ha Shem and my "Community". This has had me thinking about the wonderful uses of technology in our daily life. There are so many things I do daily as a Physician and as a Mom that depend on using these tools. I make entries in patient records, check lab results, even look at Labor tracings from the screen that I am closest to at the particular moment when I  want or need to. I have daily reminders of when to pick up my DD and where (assuredly a good thing) , appointments, meetings, a running and an ever growing "to do list." I use the iphone app to guide my prayers, even though I mostly remember them by heart, and to read the daily Parsha as I said previously. I use educational apps with my DD this summer to keep her sharp and help her learn to read and practice her phonics with me while we are out to occupy her. She will even practice drawing her Aleph/ Bet using the app: she thinks its a game. ( itunes app store: WAGmob, Learn Hebrew Writing for those of you who are interested) I think I am so sneaky , getting her to practice without telling her to do it.

Overall, most days I think I am pretty good at most of my jobs. Well all of them but one lately and that is what this post is really about. WE ARE SO CONCERNED WITH MAKING SPACE FOR TECHNOLOGY IN OUR LIVES THAT WE AREN'T VERY GOOD AT MAKING A SACRED PLACE TO LIVE WITHOUT IT.

For example, Today when I am stuck waiting with my DD, I give her an electronic device to "occupy" her. She gets to watch Mommy approved TV in the car, or play on my ipad. When I was a kid and we had to wait somewhere and had no crayons with us, or books, or homework to do, I sang with and without the radio, or made up funny jokes or talked non-stop ( I am sure to my Parents' delight -NOT). A lot of times I would just fight with my brother to have something to do! Quite a typical kid. Eventually I would wind down. Most of us had the same growing up experience. That is how most of us learned to find that still, quiet place inside of us. Now, how do we spontaneously re-teach ourselves and our children to find that sacred place without all of the outside "connectivity" that we are so dependent on?

It is simple: TURN EVERYTHING OFF(once in awhile, what would it hurt?)I will compare this to  the onset of a thunder storm and the quiet that ensues afterwards. Waves of technology are much like thunder. They beep at us, vibrate us and jolt us to full consciousness, even from a sound sleep.

In my net surfing, yes between patients, I looked for  Jewish teachings about thunder and quiet, and I came across this story:  www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/2038/jewish/The-Story-of-Shavuot/     In this story of Shavuot, "Thunder and lightning rent the air and the sound of the shofar was heard growing strangely louder and louder. All the people in the camp of Israel trembled. Then all was quiet again. The air was very still. Not a sound was to be heard. Every living thing held its breath. Even the angels interrupted their heavenly praises. Everybody and everything kept silent...waiting."

So for today, although I have no tips for finding that sacred quiet place, I am going to try on just one day to turn everything off, in ,on and around me and wait...