If you'd looked for me last Sunday, you'd have found me in Cancun, sitting under the shade of a papa, a dusting of white sand on my toes, warm breezes stirring the pages of my book, the crystalline waters of the Caribbean shimmering only yards away. Five days of heaven...
But, the problem of "getting away from it all" is that it is all still here when you return! For some that provides comfort -- my husband, for example, is always ready to get back to our normal routine. I would be in the opposing camp. Normal seems pale and dull and, well, so normal.
So maybe that explains my indifference to Thing #17 - Rollyo. For someone coming off a vacation high, it is just so linear , so focused. It allows for no spontaneity, no discovery. It creates a very small box.
Remember that scene from "The Jerk" when Navin (played by Steve Martin) is working at the carnival? To the question of what prize a particular winner gets, Navin responds "Uh, anything in this general area right in here. Anything below the stereo and on this side of the bicentennial glasses. Anything between the ashtrays and the thimble. Anything in this three inches right in here in this area. That includes the Chiclets, but not the erasers."
I know, I know - Sometimes, especially in the vastness of cyberspace, you long for someone to say "Look here - right in these three inches. This is where you will find your answers". Sometimes you want focus, sometimes you just want information, free of distractions. You know the websites you like, you know the ones you don't like, you know which are credible and which are just junk. Yes, sometimes a small area, created through a personalized search engine like rollyo, is exactly what you want.
And I'm sure in the fall, when I am helping my students with research or when I am looking for a particular piece of criticism, I will be glad to have put boundaries on the vastness of cyberspace, to have defined my own three inches of shelf space.
But not right now, not today. Today I want to keep the fullness of my vacation alive: bare feet, lightly tanned, splish-splashing down miles and miles of coastline.
4 comments:
And all I am taking is this thermos. This thermos and this ashtray is all I need. This thermos, this ashtray and this...
I think I need to gather my glasses by the optigrab, get my keys and go rent the Jerk.
After just finishing the RSS feed task I think rollyo sounds delightfully small. I have no idea what it is but I want something small, easy, and quick to complete.
It is a pleasure to read your beautiful words and experience your relaxing vacation.
I too love the mention of The Jerk. What a classic! And what a great comparison of the three inches.
I just got back from vacation at the beach, too. Like you, the lack of routine (aside from having to follow the moods of my kids) was as breathtaking as the views and the feeling of waves coming and going through my toes.
Now I am back to the grind. My walls are certainly less appealing than the vast ocean.
I haven't made it to this Thing yet, but reading your post helps me to know what's around the bend.
You commented on my comment, so I am commenting back.
I hope to have time to read your posts. It is nice to get your perspective on each assignment. Good thing you are ahead of me.
Hey - I like your avatar! Inspired, I played around with Uvatar for just a second, but I have to go to a GT training today. (What summer?)
Thanks for dropping by!
I accidentally sent another of my blog pals your note so need to correct myself--seems as though I do more corrections than most of my library 2.0 mates. What I wanted to tells you is that your writing is special--so vivid, personal, and interesting. I get caught up in your words. Since most of this technology is a struggle for me, I was relieved to find the easy-to-use Rollyo. And I can really use those specialty lists.
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