Material Girl

I've recently had a few events in my life that have helped me to appreciate some things a little more. Here are some of my thoughts. Feel free to indulge me and read them. :)

First, I had my computer whack out on me and had to take it in to get fixed. This happened during a weekend that I was teaching a lesson in Relief Society. Ok, my computer was only gone for a weekend but it was surprising to me how much harder it was to prepare my lesson without it! Thankfully, I had gotten a subscription to the Ensign about a year ago so I had the physical copies of conference talks and other messages from leaders of my church. But in my preparation, I couldn't just turn on my computer, open the internet and type into a search engine "eternal families" or "plan of salvation" and come up with 1000 articles. I also had to bring all my materials into Relief Society with me because I couldn't copy and paste the quotes and materials from the internet onto a document and print it out. So it took me a lot longer to prepare and I had to bring a whole armful of materials with me, but I did it. And I realized I could do it without my computer.

Second, I have started driving our old car in my commute to my new job. This might seem silly but it's significant to me. Last year, when I worked at the treatment center, we had just bought our new car. And by new, I mean new to us. Not new as in an actual new car. But it was so nice compared to the other cars we have ever owned. Don't get me wrong, we have always had relatively good cars that haven't given us a lot of problems which I am extremely grateful for. But this car had power windows, A/C and heat that works consistently, a radio that works, and an interior that isn't ripped or stained. The commute to that job and the one I have now are about the same. But last year, I only took our old car a few times and would mostly take our new car because it was new and nice and exciting. This year, I have been driving our old car and I have found that I don't even care. Granted, our "new" car isn't as new to us as it was last year, but I have found that I don't mind driving our old car. I don't even care that the interior ceiling is all ripped and that it doesn't have power windows.

Third, I lost my phone last Friday. This happened when my parents were here on Friday night. (See upcoming post on the Lotoja!) It was funny because my mom was more worried about it than I was. Of course, now I'm getting a little worried that it hasn't shown up but I wasn't worried then. I was with Joe and my parents and I just couldn't care that my phone was probably lost. I also don't have a fancy phone, just a regular old phone that calls and texts and that's about it. After not having a phone for about a week now (not even that long) I have barely missed it. The only thing I miss is that I never know the time and that I can't call  or text Joe or my family just to talk.

All of these things might be funny to some. Some people don't have any of these luxuries and I recognize how lucky I am to have them. But I must say that I have felt a little liberated in these realizations. I found that I don't actually need any of these nice things. It's definitely inconvenient for me and those around me when I don't have access to these luxuries, but it's not impossible. In the past, I have longed for a smart phone. But after these events, I have thought about how much I love not being reliant on technology. I am grateful for technology and am not trying to promote that we all get rid of all of it, just that we take time to refocus. Turn off our phones, our computers, our ipod's, and tv's for a night. Take time to reconnect with family and friends on a more intimate level and remember what is truly important in our lives.

"My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. ...It is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions. ...If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Of Things That Matter Most"