Driving is my sanctuary, which is ironic because I hate driving. I've never had much confidence behind the wheel, which I attribute to my pathetic sense of direction (getting lost in the town you grew up in your entire life is, yes, pathetic), my strange inability to tell which lane other cars are driving in when merging onto freeways (also problematic), and the fact that I got in an accident the first time I drove my first car (hitting an attorney in a Red Robin parking lot...not recommended). But at the present moment in my life with an almost-one-year-old, that fifteen minute drive between Grandma's and home is fifteen minutes of stillness. Max is locked in his seat and there's nothing I can do except keep my eyes on the road and let the soothing, ever-so-slightly-intellectually-arrogant voices of NPR reporters wash over me. It doesn't matter if they're talking about the newest salmon restoration project on the Skagit River or the latest meeting of the EU, if I'm driving, I'm listening to National Public Radio.
One night I heard a promo for an upcoming interview with an author that promised new, proven ways for dealing with the stresses and frenetic insanity of modern life: how to digitally disconnect, how to get more sleep, how to find time for yourself.
It struck me as a bunch of BS.
Yes, life has changed in unimaginable ways in the past 25, 50, 100, 1,000 years. Technology makes our lives easier and more complicated all the at the same time. But has human nature really changed? Has what we truly, deeply, really want changed (love, peace, security)? I don't think so. The answer to dealing with modern life is the same as the answer to dealing with ancient life: know your priorities and live by them.
Whether you live in 1013, 2013, or 3013, knowing what you want and what you value is at the core of dealing with life. After the past year of my life, I'm convinced that happiness is found when you live your life in line with what matters most to you. It may not be the most fun, most exciting, or most wealthy life, but it will ultimately be the most peaceful and most rewarding.
Oh, and my advice for dealing with today's problems? Here it is:
Want to digitally disconnect? Then turn off your phone at 7 pm.
Want to get more sleep? Turn off Facebook and go to bed.
Want to find time for yourself? Find it in the mundane moments technology hasn't taken away yet. Like driving in the car.
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