Do you really want this?

For real, for real?

peekaboo

Hi there,

In 2017, this foolish, lost, and angry girl decided she will attempt to save her life by getting offline. Three years later, in 2020, slightly less foolish but still very lost and angry, the girl decided to share her offline adventures on this tiny corner of the internet. The gods gave her the name one random afternoon: time spent offline. Another three years and 142 posts later— much older and wiser— this woman is grateful for that foolish but brave girl for doing what they said was impossible back then and making it her reality today: A life mostly lived, and cherished, offline.

Five things to share:

1. If I wrote you 10 Easy and Proven Ways to Spend More Time Offline, the algorithm would love me. And I would be lying to you. The truth is such a pain. 

2. I know, I know, it’s not easy. If it were easy everyone would do it, wouldn’t they? And if all it required was your sincerest and earnest desire to unplug, disconnect, and get offline you would do it in a heartbeat too, wouldn’t you? But it’s not easy. time spent offline in today’s digitally-caffeinated world requires debilitating and disorienting effort to commit to. It demands bravery and bravado to be thought of foolish, obsessed, and hypocritical— because you still scroll while he awaits your attention: “Babe I swear I was listening! Um, tomorrow… your dad… Uh... BBQ…” I know, I know. Writing time spent offline has been my source of inspiration and motivation to continue trudging along the less travelled path. I am not exaggerating when I say whatever you think you have gotten from this tiny corner of the internet, you have given it to me ten-fold. Days where I wanted nothing to do with time spent offline— the idea, the newsletter— my weekly commitment to you has gotten me off my ass and back to unplugging and to typing; even if all I sent you that week was Email to Delete. I write to not feel alone, and in reading I hope you feel less alone too. time spent offline is as much yours as it is mine. It’s a collective; a community of people dedicated to IRL over URL. I know you are out there giving reality your all, as I am: Whoever you are, whatever you do, however you live. And maybe if we were to meet one day we would be best friends, talk all the shit about the meek and the digitally-caffeinated, and cheer each other on on our unplugged journey. Maybe we couldn’t stand each other, I’m personally an acquired taste. Even then all that matters is time spent offline: A declaration of what is truly important through our actions. A commitment to reality; your reality. A duty even, because your betterment is not for you, it’s for the people around you.

3. A quote I want to share with you:

   The gap between knowing what you want and going after it is where fear thrives. You don't need enough courage for the entire journey. You only need courage for the next step.

   — Source

   Err, and err, and err, but less…

4. Relentlessly prune bullshit, don't wait to do things that matter, and savor the time you have. That's what you do when life is short.

5. A question for you: Do you really want to get offline? What you want and what you think you want are two separate things. Just so you’re sure.

P.s. time spent offline turns three this Friday, December 1st! 🎉 To celebrate this tiny but mighty corner of the internet I’ll send you an extra email that day with a special announcement. Thank you for being here. You've given me the best blessing I know of; to know I am not alone. Even if it's for my silly, obsessive, incessant desire to get offline and preach about it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I cannot thank you enough.

P.p.s. Turning my smartphone into a dumb phone because I am for real, for real.

🤭

That’s all for this week!

Thank you for reading, and share with anyone you think may benefit.

Until next time,

Mehret