Ep29. Zen vs Technology

Posted on 2016-02-14

Once upon a time, I was a normal person…. I had the “American Life” – the thing that is supposed to make you happy, but I wasn’t. I thought back to when I *WAS* happy- and that was when I was younger and unplugged. So… I set off to get that back.

——–

Transcript:

“Where is your happy place?”

<SFX: buddhist chanting>

(PODCAST)

Once upon a time, I was a normal person. I had an education, a job, a house, a boyfriend, a car… I had the “american dream,” which everybody says s awesome and is supposed to make you happy.

But I wasn’t happy…

<MUSIC: major key>

<SFX: normal day…. Keyboard clacking…. Driving to work… etc.>

Everyday , I sat behind a computer- working on my screen-tan, getting fatter by the day and getting more and more miserable. I couldn’t figure out why. I changed a lot of things- got rid of the boy, the house, switched jobs, switched companies, … I was still unhappy.

<MUSIC: slowly goes to minor>

<SFX: still keyboard clacking…. Driving to work…. Etc…. Music gets somber>

I knew I had to change something. What if I changed countries, too?

<SFX: “flash back” sounds…. Mystical stuff>

When I thought back to my happiest days- they were when I was little…. In the summers of 96, riding bikes, playing in the crick, hanging out with my friends… being completely care-free. This was 1996 BC… before cellphones… I was tan, I was fit, I was unplugged… I was happy… this was my bench mark.

I set off to change my life.

<MUSIC: mission!>

<SFX: -with all “steps”- beeps/check marks>

Step 1) sell everything. I did the 100-item challenge. Check my show notes for details on this.

Step 2) get rid of things that made me feel crappy…. Like spam mail! I spent over a month unsubscribing to lists and making filters so I wouldn’t receive junk mail. Totally worth it.

Step 3) research. I spent about a year researching. Basically, I bought a map and spent a lot of free time reading reddit and forums and blogs… I started a bucket list. I asked people where they wanted to go- and stole their ideas.

Step 4) buy a plane ticket. I bought the cheapest one I could find. Which was from LAX to Belize- for $235 with Delta. But I had a $200 voucher. Score!

Step 5) tell everyone- so I was now held accountable and couldn’t back out even if I wanted to.

Step 6)….. Go.

And I went…..

Flights…. Walking… Trains…. Subways….

<SFX: flights, walking, trains, subways>

Within a few months I was tan. Check.

Fit! Check.

<SFX: check marks>

I met a lot of people while traveling, of course. A bunch of burnt-out ex-pats who were glued to their computers or cell phones, trying to make their new world just like their old one- minus whatever they didn’t like- and a few things that they did- like drinkable tap water. They didn’t seem to be happy, either. Constantly frustrated with how things were in their new environment. Always having the constant glowing reminder of what life COULD be.

So I continued to search for some sort of non-screen-enlightenment. Maybe my purpose.

<SFX: busy chaos…. Technology chaos…. Created artificially- with technology sounds>

Buses…. Cabs….. Elevators…. More flights….

<SFX: buses, cabs, elevators, flights>

I went to India and meditated at an ashram… surely! I will find something here, right???

<SFX: chanting from ashram…..>

<SFX: calm…… quickly turns to……>

Yea… I found out that sitting cross-legged for long periods of time made my legs go numb. It was beyond painful-

A girl at the ashram got really sick. I reached for my phone to look up her symptoms to try to diagnose her… maybe find some remedy that would make her feel better…. oh…. but no internet. No electricity.

<SFX: prickly sounds… busy head swirls…>

The things i DID learn was that that monkeys are dirty thieves and the mosquitos there were reincarnations of Genesh himself…. and if the path of enlightenment was about finding acceptance of said monkeys and mosquitos- it wasn’t for me… So I left.

<SFX: monkeys and mosquitos>

Cabs and flights and scooters later….

<SFX: cabs flights, scooters> I landed in Cebu where a typhoon battered the Philippine islands and I stayed and helped.

<SFX: typhoon>

They have a motto: “everything is more fun in the Philippines”- and it was! I made new friends who gave up everything from the West to settle down and love their wives, lives and everything it entailed…

<SFX: happy festival! Party!>

<MUSIC: party! HAPPY!>

But I continuously got frustrated when I was trying to send texts back home to inform my family that I was ok- and my phone sat on “sending” for two hours before dying. Eventually the island got power back…. Yet— There it was. I could feel it…that “grass-is-always-greener” feeling And when my visa was up- I left.

Elephant rides, buses, trains, walks, flights….

<SFX: elephants, buses, trains, walking, flights>

I still hadn’t found what I was looking for… I still wasn’t happy. I thought back to my benchmark…. 1996 BC… outside and playing with nature…. Ok. Off to Africa-

<MUSIC: africa percussion/singing>

Where electricity stops and life starts. Where you have this slow-drip of fear all the time…

And while meditating in a cave in Spitskoppe, Namibia

<SFX: meditating>

and climbing Kilimanjaro

this was some of the closest things to inner-peace I’ve ever encountered! But I ran out of money-even when i tried to make some via audio freelancing- South Africa’s 56K modem speeds made it more frustrating and borderline impossible to accomplish anything. So I came back home….

Cue Flights, flights and more flights….

<SFX: flights, flights, flights…..>

Moving walkways, then car rides and buses and trains and more flights,

<SFX: ^^^^>

I made enough money to go to Asia again.

<SFX: cash sounds>

This time I was going to study the way of the monks. They knew something. Hell, they were the definition of finding enlightenment….

boat rides… guh.. I don’t do boats…. Into Temples…. Across teak wood bridges and finally….

<SFX: ^^^^… electric buddhist chanting, wood creaking>

I arrived at Inle Lake, Myanmar…. A lake in the middle of the country where the residents have built dozens of floating gardens and villages on stakes to raise them out of the water.

While sitting on the balcony of my hut, I look out at the lake and see a fire on one mountain and the huge orange moon rising over another… Finally.

<SFX: atoms of inle lake>

Peace…. Complete calm….

<beat>

And then I hear the ding of my email-

<SFX: ding>

and I mentally salivated for the attention. The self-centered disease I can’t seem to rid myself of no matter how much I try. I need to check in. To see what my little phone has to whisper to me as I watch the mountain burn.

<SFX: atmos/calm fade up….>

Moral: Don’t give up.

<SFX: flight>

Chris Allen — editor

I reference the 100-item challenge and my typhoon podcast.

Ep29. Zen vs Technology

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