The Ease of the iPhone
Dear reader,
There is a texture to iMessage that I only know from not using it for the last few months. An essence of speed and ease that my new android dumb phone does not give me. I had been using iMessage for over a decade and didn’t understand how much it was its own language until I had to build a new one.
In many ways this was the point of the switch, to add friction to my communication. To add pause to the reaching for the phone. To make the phone a less desirable object.
The phone however has become an almost annoying object, one that I want to use for communication but really hate texting on. I never wanted to hate texting, I just wanted to not look at email on my phone. I miss google maps. I miss my notes app. I miss the ease dear reader, and Apple really nailed it with the ease.
I do feel as though between not having email available on my phone and changing my relationship with computer boundaries I have a whole new relationship to professional correspondence. I’d like to think if I switched back to the iPhone I would be able to just keep email off my phone and keep that as a rule.
This all quickly reminds me of my negotiating with social media, and ultimately my original modality of negotiating : alcohol. I would take a break from drinking for a few months and say - see look! I can totally do it. I would start drinking again and sometimes quickly sometimes slowly the disease would rear its ugly head and I’d be worse off than when I quit.
I found this to be the same with using social media. I would take my breaks and feel like I could easily return, citing there was no way I would be sucked under like I was in the past. Sometimes it would take hours and sometimes taking weeks, but whenever I returned I’d be sucked back into a drug like vortex of scrolling endlessly. I black out and come to only to be watching a reel of someone I don’t know doing a dance I don’t care about.
So I wonder, would returning to the iPhone bring back my swirl of email addiction, using the web browser, etc? Or would I use these new muscles and tools to be free? For now I will continue to use the Wisephone. I feel as though it was how I was able to finish the first draft of my next book and as I continue with my edits it feels correct to keep using it.
In other news - my best shot at fighting fascism lately has been to get really into pilates. It is giving me an entry point into feeling less pain, more patience, and more room to be of service to my local community. I am finding great joy in using the reformer and signed up to get mat certified this April. I am googling “dreamy pilates studios” and making mood boards. I am completely obsessed and welcome all of your pilates suggestions - teachers, videos, workshops, retreats, etc.
I am wishing you well in these times dear reader, whatever ways you are trying to pay better attention to the world and to your own body. Deep listening as a way in, deep listening as a way out.
Things of Note :
♢ In Landscapes last week as a group we celebrated a huge win when our member Hurley Winkler (who also is my amazing sub when I am out of office) shared with us her interview with the one and only Julia Cameron for The Creative Independent.
♢ Early bird registration for my next online class happening March 16-30 : The Tapestry and The Web - Journaling as a Contemplative Practice opens this Wednesday - click through to join the waitlist
♢ I am teaching an in person version of A Quilt in a Weekend (with all materials provided!) with The Green Door Folk School here in Northern Michigan May 24 and 25. I would love to see you there.
♢ Really wish I could be in two places at once and attend
Etel Adnan : In the Rhythms of the World : A Symposium Feb 27 - March 1 in NYC (It’s Free!) Etel Adnan is my favorite poet, painter, and artist and her legacy lives on.
♢ I am reading The Art of Frugal Hedonism and enjoying it.
CLASSIFIEDS : Ever wish selling felt easy? The Hermit Framework helps you attract ready-to-buy clients without chasing, pressure, or fake urgency. [Free workshop.] Neurodiverse women: Unlock the mystery to a peaceful, profitable business. Get my free strategies to reduce overwhelm/burnout and tap into your gifts. Queer somatic therapist specializing in trauma & attachment, now accepting new clients in CA. Let’s deepen your connection with yourself & others.
Want to place an ad in next week’s Monday Monday? Read all about it here
