The description of The Distractions by Liza Monroy first drew me in. The idea of events upfolding at a coffee shop was intriguing and the mention of content altering devices and Servergrippers becoming like angry dogs caught my full attention
We already know what it feels like when technology doesn’t cooperate. The Wi-Fi goes down when we need it. The printer and fax machine suddenly refuse to do what they did perfectly well yesterday. We restart it, check everything we can think of, and then wait for someone to come fix it. And usually it isn't fixed as quickly as we would like.
We laugh about these things because what else can we do - we depend on them.
The Distractions takes the idea into some very personal territory with the Person Intimacy Companion. That really made me stop and think. We have already allowed technology into so many parts of our lives. How much more are we willing to hand over?
Then there is the idea of the lackluster organic brain. I found that interesting because we already live in a world where technology can find the answer faster than we can. Technology can remember things we forget and do things that once required our own time and effort. But I don't want to think of my own brain as lackluster just because a machine can do something faster. Some things technology simply cannot replace: our relationships, our experiences, and the way a moment laughing with another can make us feel.
I reread the line that states, 'nothing is isolated'.
Yes! One thing affects another. Our dependence on technology affects our time. Our choices affect other people. Sometimes the things that make life easier can change something else we didn't expect.
I like the mention of the desire to keep things pared down to the essence. I'm sure there is something to that. We have so much coming at us all the time- things to read, watch, answer, buy, fix, and keep up with. It can be difficult to know what really matters,
The idea of having the opportunity to recreate yourself made me think about that too. We all have things we might change if given another opportunity. But recreating ourselves isn't about becoming completely different. Maybe it is about getting back to what matters most.
The regret in the story about not having more meaningful moments stayed with me. The older I get, I find myself appreciating meaningful moments more. A good conversation. Sitting without others, without rushing. Laughing about something silly. Having a cup of coffee and enjoying it instead of thinking about what needs to be done next. Those things seem simple, and yet to me they are not insignificant.
Maybe that is what distraction made me think about most. What are we allowing to distract us from the life that is actually happening?
Technology isn’t the enemy; I certainly appreciate Wi-Fi when it works, and I am grateful for a printer that cooperates. But there is a difference between using technology and becoming completely dependent on it.
I started Distractions because the description sounded unusual. I finished thinking about some very ordinary things- my time, my technology, the things I depend on. And the meaningful moments I don't want to miss.
Nothing is isolated.
Sometimes one idea in a book connects to something in your own life, and suddenly you are thinking about the book long after you put it down.
That was The Distractions for me.
