She's back...

I was without regular Internet access this past month. And although I am certainly glad to have it back, I also came to appreciate the extra time, calm, and solitude that came from my temporary removal from the information highway. I found myself reading more, taking walks, and even cleaning. As cliche as it sounds, I was definitely more productive. And possibly happier.

But I also found myself strangely lonely. Since I abhor the phone, I didn't communicate as regularly with friends, and I realized that I use blogs, news Web sites, and message boards to feel connected to the human race. Without them, I was a bit lost. I'm not sure I like that.

I like to use the term "false intimacy" when it comes to describing various types of Internet relationships, and I think I was creating a bit of my own false intimacy by lulling myself into believing that I am fully connected to all these people, thoughts, and things available out there on the Web. I'm not. Not fully at least. I'm connected to my neighborhood, my friends, my job, and family. Those are harder connections for me, but I think (and hope) more worthy.

All this is to say that I'm not going anywhere. I'm grateful to be back, and I'm sure I'll remain searching and typing away on my keyboard. But I do want to make sure I remind myself that there are other connections out there--and not all of my best and rewarding relationships are going to require a keyboard and cable modem.