Summer is flying by. Freshman move-in day at Trinity is less than a month away, and Campus Ministry leaders gather for our annual retreat in 21 days. It’s sad to see my free time slip away as I anticipate my sophomore year. I’m going to miss sleeping till 10:30 a.m. most of the week, although I will benefit greatly when my school year schedule kicks back in. The joy of reuniting with my friends and professors will override the sorrow of cutting back to 7 hours of sleep.
There are still many things I want to do this summer before I return to a rhythm of classes and papers. I have a backlog of books, movies, and music albums that need to be consumed while I still have the spare time. One of the movies I finally got around to watching was 10 Cloverfield Lane. It has been on my watch list since I stumbled upon the trailer, and has been recommended to me several times. It was classic J.J. Abrams, a perfect blend of sci-fi, horror, and drama. By far my favorite movie this year! Yet, I almost ruined it for myself.
You see, I enjoy movies most when I see them in the theater. I could never pinpoint why exactly. It was never the screen size (our home display is plenty big) or the comfortable accommodations (who wants old fold down seats when you can have your personal couch and Snuggie?). Watching 10 Cloverfield Lane last week gave me my answer. When I’m at home watching a movie, I’m constantly using my smartphone. Even during a movie that I’ve eagerly anticipated, I feel the need to check my Twitter feed, block new Instagram follows, and open Snapchat stories. The pressure to be socially courteous in a movie theater by shutting my phone off actually enhances my own viewing experience.
Movies are not the only experiences that are hampered by my dual consuming. Music has been another. This month has been stacks with great releases. Seriously, new albums from Switchfoot, NeedToBreathe, and Relient K, all in the same month? I can’t ask for much better than that. I’ve been waiting years for these albums to come out, and how to I find myself consuming them? In the background while I play video games or watch YouTube videos. At that point, I’m practically insulting the artists who put their time, emotions, and lives into the music by reducing the songs to room noise. I was shocked to find myself doing something I hope people would never do with music I create.
Apple recently applied for patents that would disable iPhones from recording video at concerts and music festivals. The possibility of this being implemented into future iPhones has been met with mixed response. Upon diagnosing my problem with duel-consuming, I can say I would be all for this feature. Live concerts are some of my favorite events, and I would not want to sap a single moment of joy away from the experience.
What I hope you take away from my ramblings is to determine things that you find true joy in, and embrace them without distraction. I used music and films as my examples, but for you it might be family dinners or afternoons at the beach. We’ve only got a little bit of summer left. Let’s try to live a little more in the moment, and a lot less plugged in.
