Active Digizen Going Offline

15 years as an edublogger, 13 years as a Wikipedian, and 10 years as an active digizen on Facebook, is it any wonder that a certified cyberian like me still has time offline?

I haven't joined the Unplugged Movement yet, but there are real-life moments when I'm not clicking the mouse or connected to the internet. Sleeping, eating, bathing, doing household chores, or traveling are everyday things we all do when we're in our real world. I don't live inside the Big Brother house with live streaming while doing the usual rituals of life. So there are actually offline tasks that cannot be stored as cookies and you and I can't escape them.

Inescapable Reality

Digital analysts say that Good Data is becoming popular on the Internet of Things (IoT) nowadays. If you want to keep up to date with me and scan the good deeds that I do outside the web, let me tell you that one of my duties is to look after the PWDs (Person with disability) with me. As a son, I get poked all the time when my mother, who can no longer take care of herself, needs assistance. As a brother, I play the role of an on-call shrink in helping my sister cope with reality, bookmarking her real-life story for her because she is still our mother's caregiver.

As a husband and father, I'm programmed to pop up asap for my family too. If on the internet I am known as cybermeister or agent Jim, at home my handle is Dad-T. I admit, financially speaking, my wife has monetized herself more than I do. But we just fit our combined small budget for everything we need. This also means that when she is busy at work, I should be able to spend more quality time with our kids.

If I can't go online sometimes, in real life I can't go offline. I want my wife and me to grow old together and to see my daughters grow up having fun and memorable experiences with us.

Fun Outdoor Experiences

Travel vlogging is a trend today, but I've never done a video series on exclusive outings with my family. Whenever an outdoor activity is shared on social media, our friends will only see a few pictures of it.

Weekly, when we get out as a family together, we sure have time for some split-second fun too. It's as simple as going to a nearby park, diner, carnival, resort, or taking a selfie in a unique spot. We are often in the mall or supermarket for groceries though.

No need to spend much for a fun getaway. The moment together is more important than the amount of experience. Happy memories are the most important, not the costly place you just visited.

Hey, are you slowly losing touch with your natural world because you're using more time online?

Grocery time

Fun time

Nature Time

One of my daily concerns outside the virtual environment is the plants and trees in our yard. When the weather gets too hot, up to three times they should be watered. When it is raining hard, it is necessary to provide wood support to plants that are easily broken. Of course, it is crucial to clean the yard no matter the season.

By the way, it is best to go offline during the harvest season; it's a joyful time for the kids to learn how to use a sungkit (a pole with a hook) and to eat ripe tropical fruits and drink fresh juices for free. We even enjoyed a mango fruit that was 9 inches long. You can only taste these natural blessings offline.

Picking fruits with sungkit

9-inch mango

Moment Alone

Who doesn't want to have time for him/herself? When wifi is disconnected, you don't get notifications, likes or reacts, right? But you can do more with your hobbies like drawing or playing instruments if you have your own corner and personal space. You will be more creative when you have time to think or imagine.

Look at what I did with this prehispanic Philippine ancient writing system called Baybayin. I created a sign language version of it:

Senyas Baybayin

I think I have more time for things that are essential to myself and my family when I'm not online. I, when unplugged for a while, am more and more aware of my real self. I also get to know my loved ones better.

Maybe we can never be completely offline, but with real-world experiences, we can increase our creativity and memorable days. So find out what you can do productively whenever you're away from the keyboard.

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