No blackberry, no Twitter, no Facebook. Could you unplug all your computers and devices for a weekend? According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Reebot, a NYC-based Jewish think tank has put a modern spin on the Sabbath with the National Day of Unplugging.
The nonprofit is encouraging a day of rest from sundown today to sundown Saturday. Its Sabbath Manifesto suggests participants do the following:
- Avoid technology
- Connect with loved ones
- Nurture your health
- Get outside
- Avoid commerce
- Light candles
- Drink wine
- Eat bread
- Find silence
- Give back
It actually sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? I’m not sure if you can “drink wine” and “give back” at the same time…maybe host a charity drinkathon? Kudos to anyone who figures it out.
But isn’t technology a good thing? Why should we shut everything off? Sabbath Manifesto creator Dan Rollman explained why turning off the gadgets for just a day is healthy and invigorating: “Adding a modern Sabbath will ideally reward with the same riches this ritual has provided for centuries — a chance to catch our breaths, replenish our souls and reconnect with the living, breathing people we love,” he said.
Okay, he makes a good point. Let me just email, Tweet and Facebook this idea to all my friends.
