One of Shakespeare's most famous lines, from his famous play "The Tempest," is, "Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come/In yours and my discharge," (II.i.253-4). Today, we often take this as to mean that the past defines the present, and therefore also is the foundation for the future. We use this as supporting evidence for the idea that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Shakespeare's original intent, however, was that this line should mean that the past doesn't matter; it is merely an introduction to the infinite and beautiful future stretching out before us.
This quote is very fitting as we are approaching 2017, and after the whirlwind of a year that I've had, I am using it as something to live by for the next year.
I'm just shy of two decades old, but I am doing the unthinkable of my generation: going a year without social media. That's right: three 365 days without all any social media at all. If you're around 30 or older, you'll probably just shake your head at this and mutter to yourself about how that was your reality at my age, not just an option of going with/without.
I would like to say this endeavor comes on a quest to prove that the up and coming generation is doomed, or to reveal how social media is destroying our society post by edited post, but it's purely selfish, if I'm being honest. I'm not on a mission to prove anything on a grand scale, I'm on a personal quest to get to the core of what it means to live in the present and to prove, in this day and age, that it is possible to live a life of authenticity.
Now that you know the name of the game, here are the guidelines.
The first is that I will be reading the book "The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge," a devotional written by Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker. Every day there is going to be a new topic to reflect upon, and I will be journaling each day to reflect on the devotional for that day.
The second is that I'll be writing an article every week to document my experience. It may not necessarily be a journal-like article; it can also be topic-specific depending on what I'm moved to write that week.
The third rule is that, obviously, there is no social media. This includes everything but text messaging/phone calls/video chats, YouTube, the text messaging app GroupMe, reading apps (Kindle, Nook, iBooks, etc), e-mail, and, of course, Odyssey's website.
The fourth is that when I write the articles, I will schedule social media shares to Facebook and Twitter via the Odyssey website, as my accounts will still be active but not directly used by me.
The fifth and final guideline is that I will be brutally honest in my writing and observations. There will be no sugar coating, euphemisms, or disingenuous commentary to be found. It will be pure honesty, folks.
Cheers to a new year, and to a year of radicalizing what it means to live presently.
Stay tuned.
