After reading the front page New York Times story, “Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price” I was whisked back to my childhood dreams of returning to a simpler past, not only before the internet but before electricity, television, newspapers, etc. As a kid I used to turn up the heat and pretend to be mending snake bites and warding off Typhoid with homemade medicines(various flavored extracts from Mama’s kitchen) like on the frontier.

This got me to thinking, why don’t I try unplugging, just for one evening. It’s summer, there is no better time to turn-off.

So, I decided to challenge myself and my friends to unplug. Pick one evening, when you get home from work or school, or wherever it is you may find yourself, unplug everything. Your computer, your lamps, your tv, your fan, your ac. Turn off your cell phone, your iPad, your laptop. Write letters, read books, stare out the window, take a walk, sing to yourself, but for one evening no electronic devices. I dare you.

Be sure to take your time and prepare, let people know you will not be available, wrap everything up before unplugging. Memorize paths around your home so as not to bump into anything wandering around in dark, it is nearly the summer solstice so take advantage of the long days. And then, in the morning, when you are back online, let us know how your evening was.