Off the Grid

I was in the Bay Area a couple of weeks ago to housesit for my friends Kevin and Siena, to spend quality time with their pets who are also my buddies, George the Dog and Steve the Cat, and to do research for my next book at Graduate Theological Library in Berkeley. Unfortunately, this was during the time of Northern California’s power blackout, as mandated by PG&E out of concern for fire danger. They refer to this policy as PSPS: “Public Safety Power Shutoff.” Yeah, right. 

PG&E is afraid that strong gusty winds will knock down the power lines and set trees on fire. This is apparently what set off the disastrous fire that destroyed the small town of Paradise last year (2018), and the utility company actually declared bankruptcy because of homeowner and civic lawsuits resulting from that debacle. So out of an overabundance of caution, the old parochial school policy now applies: If one kid is bad, the whole class gets punished. 

But I’m not going to touch the whole issue of PG&E still using antiquated grid equipment in the 21^st century. And I won’t mention how PG&E did not take care to anticipate this problem back in the 1990s when they could have worked on upgrading their systems during a time when infrastructure costs were relatively less expensive than they are today. Other pundits and commentators are much more eloquent and qualified to address these California issues than me, an Oregonian. 

I will say that as much as it was a hardship for many, many people in Northern California to live in the dark without power, I did enjoy one unexpected outcome: the power outage forced me off the grid! I was offline and unable to keep up with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media. Suddenly, I had nothing better to do than play with the dog and the cat, do some writing with pen and paper, and basically enjoy life without Facebook’s incessant pull. Ah, blessed relief! 

In the past couple of years, I have grown weary of the negativity that runs rampant on social media, especially on Facebook and Twitter. Opinions are expressed with no sense of dialogue or civility. Everyone’s mind seems to be already made up, and there seems to be no room for openness or to hear other viewpoints. In the comments section, Facebook users feel empowered to state their disagreements vehemently, in no uncertain terms, and often with colorful words that would make grandmothers blush. Volatile topics include politics, parenting, the church and, sadly, the sacred liturgy. The way some people carry on, you’d think that singing contemporary music at Mass is a greater sin than poverty in the inner cities, or the removal of basic rights from immigrant people who are forced out of their homelands because of violence or other reasons too complex to digest in just 140 characters. 

If someone is going to use Facebook or Twitter to go on political and liturgical diatribes, they might as well be doing it in a crowded restaurant, shouting their invectives at total strangers while standing on their dining room table. Just my humble opinion. That’s why my Facebook posts have lately been nothing more than innocuous puns and jokes, plus the sharing of my favorite off-the-wall abstract art. I just don’t want to participate in today’s negative vibes. 

The other thing that irks me about Facebook is the apparent need to share what’s on your mind and what you are doing at every moment of the day. Who the hell cares about what I am doing or thinking? I am just a small, insignificant cog in this immensely overwhelming wheel we call civilization. Does it really matter that I am making deviled eggs for dinner tonight? 

I am an intensely private introvert by nature. I can count on one hand the people I feel free to be myself with, and with whom I share my ideas and opinions – political, ecclesial, or otherwise. I’m not going to throw all that on the general public. I have no right to burden total strangers with my woes and joys. But I do thank God for the friends I have, with whom I can openly share my life. 

So goodbye, Facebook! I will keep my personal page because that is the only way I can maintain my professional Composer/Author page. I may occasionally share posts of interest on my ministry and travels, such as my upcoming trip to Rome. But I see no reason to waste my time and the time of other people with the vagaries of my warped mind.

Having said all that, I am a writer by trade. I will continue to write well researched articles and books on the liturgy and other topics. And I will continue to blog. Thanks for reading.