Monday, June 24, 2013

Ups and downs

We returned yesterday afternoon from having spent three days visiting friends who live in a fairly remote area of Pennsylvania.  It's located about 45 minutes northwest of Scranton and it's overall about a 3 hr drive.

There are a number of advantages and some would say disadvantages to spending time in a region like this.

There's of course the obvious advantage of visiting with friends whose company you enjoy.  There's the added advantage to me of beautiful, untouched countryside consisting of woods, fields and streams.

The down side is that getting to stores or restaurants involves a longer drive than what one may be used to.  In fact depending on what you're looking for, it could be a rather considerable drive.

There's also the fact that where we were there was no cable or cell service.  The folks we visited did have satellite TV and a rather slow internet connection but at least they had one.

Was this a problem?  Certainly not to me.  We had a very pleasant visit.  Younger folks who have a need to 'stay connected' may have found it to be a huge inconvenience but we found it very restful.  After all, we could still eat, walk, talk and read.  What else do you need to do?

I think it's good for everyone to step away from the information highway, disconnect and relax once in a while.  Too many people are leading hectic--almost frantic--lives, constantly on their phones checking their Facebook status and emails.

Relax.  You'll live longer.

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