just thinking

I'm as busy as I've ever been, writing-wise. I wake up, make a pot of coffee, find a quiet corner of the house (and that changes on a regular basis), and start reading, transcribing, and scribbling notes. This research (on the Counterculture Movement of the 60s, the Jesus Movement that followed, and how that movement merged with a small fellowship called Calvary Chapel and exploded into a globe-spanning revival) is so fascinating, so thought-consuming, that I've been waking up three or four nights a week around 2:00 a.m. with a head full of questions. On those nights, I start the coffee earlier than usual and work through dawn.

All that to say, I've begun to fall out of love with the internet. I still need it for research, and I still prefer email to trying to scrounge up an envelope and stamp, but I've also never been more aware of what a time killer it is. I've got three email accounts, a MySpace, a Facebook, MyChurch, a knitting group on Ravelry, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Plaxo, our women's ministry blog, my own blog, my author site, a column for Christian Women Online, a Sparks People page, and two yahoo groups (out of 18) that I read regularly. I just know I'm forgetting another something or two. And that doesn't even take into consideration the fact that most of you have MySpace, Facebook, MyChurch, Ravelry, Goodreads, LindIn, blog, blog, blog pages that I should be reading and keeping up with.

How does a person keep up with all that? Here's a more thought-provoking question: Should a person keep up with all that? Because I have to tell you, the last two days I've almost completely ignored the internet--and it's been pure bliss. Instead of checking in 17 times a day, I checked in once. Period. Yesterday I didn't get online until 8:00 p.m., which is a first for me. And yes, it means I have dozens of emails to get through. It means I haven't posted anything new on any of my blogs or groups. But I've loved the disconnect. Loved, loved, loved it. I felt like I'd chewed through the chain around my ankle and was finally relearning the joy of dancing.

I don't know what I'm going to do with all these thoughts swirling about my head. Do I burn my Mac dial-up connector and disappear from cyber space all together? Do I go back to being a woman who got all her stimulation and information from books, conversations, and the library? Or do I dare try to limit myself to just a short, harmless spurt every day? Is that even possible--or is the internet a drug? Can you have just a tiny bite and walk away any time you want?

It's odd, because I didn't mean to let all that out. What I meant to do--in one short paragraph--was say, "I haven't been online much and haven't had time to post, but here's a fun test you can take." Instead, I flopped down on a cyber couch and had a little session, right in front of all y'all.

Well, I'm getting up now and getting back to my real job. Here's the fun test. Come back and tell me how fast you type.

And if you have any words of wisdom about all the other stuff, I'll take that too.

100 words

Speed test