{"id":287291,"date":"2026-09-16T12:52:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T12:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/287291\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T12:52:37","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T12:52:37","slug":"edwina-tries-an-analog-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/287291\/","title":{"rendered":"Edwina Tries\u2026 An Analog Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Contributed<\/p>\n

This month, Edwina tried unplugging \u2013 namely from internet-based forms of information, convenience, and entertainment \u2013 and found herself more plugged into real life through slower experiences like reading, baking, listening to records, watching DVDs, and using a disposable camera to record all of it!<\/p>\n

I was the kind of kid who enjoyed looking things up in the Encyclopedia Britannica \u2013 we didn’t have a set, but my great-aunt (T\u00eda Star) did and I was obsessed with researching whatever struck my fancy. I would routinely look up a “word of the day” in our battered household dictionary. I loved quick bits of information. Call it Gemini spirit, plucky disposition, or undiagnosed ADHD, but I still love learning a little bit about a lot of things. Modern technology makes that almost too easy.<\/p>\n

When cellphones became more commonplace, I didn’t care about it much. I got the cheapest plan, traded up from a beeper to a Nokia, and threw it in the bottom of my purse. For me, everything really changed with the iPhone. First, I had an iPod Touch which felt like a tiny computer in my pocket (as long as I was in WiFi range). Eventually, I upgraded to the iPhone 3, then the 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, and presently 15. I am constantly connected, with answers to a billion questions at my fingertips, the ability to find out what the name of that actor is, listen to that song in my head, order something I want, and take amazing photos of me, the cats, my love, my lunch, that squirrel\u2026 all right now! Taking a day off from all of that sounded like it might be tough but, in fact, it was pretty fantastic.<\/p>\n

The night before my analog day, a Saturday, I let my loved ones know I would be unavailable for a day or two so they wouldn’t worry and my anxiety would be lessened, and I went ahead and kickstarted early. I turned off my phone, I turned off the streaming service I was watching, I went out and did some yard work, came inside, cleaned up, and mixed up a sourdough loaf, put on a Coltrane record, and cozied up with a real book. No phone = no audiobook. When I went to bed, I set up a watch next to me so I could check the time if needed to and fell asleep without the help of my Calm app rain sounds.<\/p>\n

I slept in on Saturday and woke up feeling great. I went into the kitchen and found that my fianc\u00e9 had gotten me a single-use camera, written me a sweet note, and even included some cash for an extra fun analog day. The day included a trip to Herb and Honey Bakery, the Open Market at LEAF, Glinodo Goat Fest, Francisco’s Mexican Taqueria, baking bread, and cozy downtime on the couch watching a DVD (not technically analog, but not dependent on an internet connection either). Then, I wrapped it all up watching the Elle Taylor Band at Voodoo Brewing Co. downtown and eating nachos. I was so busy having fun, I really only thought about my phone when I wanted directions or to find out the name of an actor, a song, to see what time it was, etc.; it was easy to let those things go and enjoy the moment. I was blissfully unaware of things outside my immediate surroundings, and it made me feel very peaceful, very happy, and all around good.<\/p>\n

You, dear reader, may have discovered the importance of disconnecting from technology long ago. I admittedly am sometimes late to the party \u2013 it took me years to finally watch Game of Thrones \u2013 but that’s a story for another day. I think one day of “disconnecting to reconnect” was short enough and novel enough to not be a real test of my borderline addiction to my phone\/internet\/streaming services. I probably should try a weekend or maybe a week. Perhaps that would be overcorrecting. But two things are certain: one, it was great to spend time with people in real life as opposed to seeing their status updates, and two, we have a lot of physical media in our home, and I need to spend more time with it and less time with digitized versions on my phone. Maybe I’ll acquire an encyclopedia. Do they still make those? I’ll look it up.<\/p>\n

Edwina is Erie’s (self-proclaimed) biggest fan who loves being a tourist in our own town. If you have an idea of something new she should try you can email her at edwina.capozziello@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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