During the Challenge

The first conflict in the challenge began when I asked my dad if a clock was a portable electronic. He said it was. All throughout dinner I had to keep my head down because we have clocks at both ends of the kitchen. When working at my desk, I was constantly jerking my head up to try and see the time, because I wanted to keep track of how long I was spending on each assignment. As it was, I probably spent a large excess of time annotating my English reading because I was not tracking myself. There were no alternatives to clocks, besides following what everyone else was doing. Another impulse I had was when I automatically thought to go to my parents’ computer to receive E-mail after dinner. I wasn’t hoping to accomplish a task; I just wished to be entertained for a brief moment. Again, there was nothing to replace E-mail, only continuing on without it. I had the same urge when I needed a break later on. Because I was so exhausted, I just lay down flat on the floor and listened to my breathing with my hand on my stomach. It was a way to distract myself, since I could not distract myself from work using technology. A few times, I wanted to E-mail a teacher to ask questions about the work, but resisted. The computer was right in front of me, though it was off, and the connection seemed so accessible.


Other challenges arose with calculators and television. I needed a calculator for conversions when completing my chemistry homework. I solved the issue by working out simple math by hand, but I moved onto the next assignment rather than use long division. It is sad that I can no longer do basic math without a machine. Finally, hearing the background of a movie and the reactions of my family watching it was not pleasant. I was stuck downstairs, unplugged and alone. There was nothing I could do to change this, and no alternative to give me the sensation that I was watching television. My idea of an alternative was simply to continue on working. If I had decided to watch television, my only goal would have been relaxation. To be fair though, I usually work without break on Friday nights even when I do have technology, so the lack of technology really only emphasized the issue.


One piece of technology that I actually used during this time was an electric pencil sharpener. I didn’t forget about the challenge, but I wasn’t sure if something plugged in would be deemed “portable.” I felt I had no time to look for a regular sharpener, although I did search briefly. I also intentionally looked at the clock once, to gauge how much time I had spent on homework. I could not resist. The clock seems to schedule my whole evening, telling me when it is time to stop and start something else, or at what point to panic because it is so late.


The second morning of the challenge I woke up wondering if our Martial Arts class was still at 11:00 A.M, and wanting to go online to check it. I dealt with this just by gaining more confidence that I knew the time of the class. That same morning I almost peeked at my sister’s activities on the computer, because she was looking up movies and I wanted to contribute to the decision. However, I quickly averted my attention so as to distract myself from this prospect. There was not any alternative besides that I went without that bit of entertainment.


On the way to Martial Arts, I again yearned to use a piece of technology. I always listen to CDs in the car, because they help me relax and reflect. Instead, I ended up having a conversation with my mom and sister. My sister began to sing songs aloud, taking requests from the “audience.” During the car ride home, a similar issue arose because I wanted to call my dad to remind him of something. My mom quickly cut in to remind me that I was not allowed to do this. The call was not necessary, so not making it was the only option. When I arrived home, more troubles ensued, as my mind flickered back to the idea of receiving E-mail almost every 5 seconds. I consistently chastised myself for this and never forgot for more than a split second. However, it surprised me how often I thought of checking the E-mail and made me realize how many times I use technology superfluously. There was no need to make up for the lack of E-mail because I rarely have a particular reason for checking it.


The only time today that I used technology (on the second day of the challenge) was for looking at the clock. I certainly looked at the clock unintentionally when I was just waking up, since it is on the wall right across from my bed. I do not think there was any way to avoid this use of technology, because I would always have glimpsed the clock unthinkingly when just waking up (my sister refused when I asked if we could take it down for 24 hours). When I was leaving for Martial Arts, however, looking at the clock was fairly intentional because I needed to figure out how much time I had left to get dressed and ready. Still, I made an effort not to peek, and I think I only managed everything on time because everyone else knew what time it was. In the afternoon I looked at the clock several times, solely wanting to see when I needed to get ready to leave the house. These instances were a lot like E-mail in that I had no control over the impulse of looking at the clock. My family and I seem to be ruled by the hours, which limits our ability to look at the task itself, rather than how much time we have to complete it.


For Saturday lunch, I had a strong desire to just pop something like pizza or pasta into the microwave. Instead, I poured pasta and sauce into a pan on the stove, and heated the sauce and pasta together. I stirred with a big wooden spoon for a while, and then forgot about my lunch and almost burned it. I did manage to save the meal, however, and it tasted almost the same as microwave heated food.