Disconnect. Imagine. Live.

Ever notice how you could be in a world not of today, thinking back to a time when life was simpler and you enjoyed things with an innocent wonder? 

 Then you look at some of the people who you've grown up with, actors, YouTube personalities, etc, and they've conformed to things going on in the world. 

 Yeah, conformity is a good thing, don't get me wrong. Change is healthy. But what made you you (or them then). 

 A great example, and one most people will probably know what I'm talking about, is Stephen King and how he used to write about 50 pages before getting into the action. Just about everyone I've talked to about a King novel have expressed similar memories--not particularly unfond, either. 

 That was what made his stories his. To some degree, you expected it when opening one of his books. I haven't read too many recent novels, but of the ones I have, I've noticed this has changed quite a bit.  

 Now, understanding what's going on in your industry and what people want are important in growing as a creator. Look at bands like Metallica and Korn. They've taken some risks, but mostly have come back to what gave them their fans in the first place. Whether it be sound, length of song, or just not using electronic equipment in place of real instruments. 

 And of course, King hasn't totally abandoned his style--though, like I'd said before, I haven't really read a lot of his recent stuff, so I could be wrong. 

 But I was thinking, looking out my window, wondering if I wanted to put this thought on my blog. Having just seen something on some social media site or another and thinking, ugh. So I was looking out the window and there was the world. It was still there, still the way I left it when I turned away from the window the last time. Most likely, it will still be there when I look out again at another time. 

 And then I thought back to the hayday of the internet. Different fonts, cheesy looking websites. Yeah, I'm a geek. I loved it. Oh, and you can go back with the Wayback Machine site. Link. 

 Of course the internet is bustling with millions of users every day, but back then? It was just different. 

 I remember my Blackberry with a bittersweet fondness. I'd have my BB Tour doing things the iPhone fanboy buddies of mine were doing with their shinny new apple product, having them smirk and swipe for another app to one-up me. It was great. 

 But today, everything is quick, video players work, operating systems are less likely to crash, I'm with Android and love it, and the phones in our pockets are sometimes (probably most times, depending who you're talking to) more powerful than the computers we use. 

 So I sat back and looked out the window, watching the clouds slip smoothly behind the silhouettes of houses and electric polls and thought about all of this. You can have the past whenever you want. It's inside of your head. Memories. And there are still people and groups out there that like these things, I'm sure. Just have to find them. Yeah. 

 Either way, it just shows me I have to disconnect. Shut off the news and computer, and just think. Read. Imagine. Live. 

 Great things come out of these moments. 

 Let me know what you think. How do you disconnect? 

 WCM

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