Benefits and Drawbacks?
I woke-up tonight and I had been dreaming about men with mustaches. A side effect I think from reading a book before bed! I’ve started to read Better OFF: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende. Eric and his wife spend a year living in a small community that uses very little technology or machinery. In one part of the book he focuses on the question,” Was there some baseline of minimal machinery needed for human convenience, comfort, and sociability – a line below which physical effort was to demanding and above which machines began to create their own demands?” Eric makes some interesting reflections over the course of the book but right now I am fascinated with how he has learned that,” Leisure doesn’t end when work begins but pervaded every moment of the day.”
I just finished a course and although it was “work” it also was enjoyable. Perhaps it is the ideal quest to find a way to have leisure or a sense of leisure flow through your day. Eric talks a lot about the sense of fun, community and conversation that is plentiful when completing farm tasks. That this party or social atmosphere can make even the most mundane and routine jobs seem like a pleasurable experience.
So far the book raises a lot of interesting questions and ideas. When do the benefits of technology start to be outweighed by the drawbacks? Oh there are lots of interesting questions but it is late or perhaps early and time to turn off the technology and try to sleep…
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!