Farmer breaks free from phone’s call

May 18, 2023

Bill sat at his desk staring at the computer screen as the minutes ticked by. With all of his fieldwork done, the evenings were again filled with free time.

The more Bill focused on the screen, the more he felt something did not seem right. In fact, something had seemed off for a long time now. He couldn't put his finger on what the exact problem was, but Bill believed it had something to do with people's attitudes and expectations.

The unsettling feeling began a few years ago when Bill started looking at Facebook. He soon found a multitude of people posting things about their lives and noticed there were several distinct groups. One group posted endlessly about the fun activities they did. There were pictures of people at the beach, sporting events, or riding in their convertibles. They all seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Bill did not have any pictures of himself and his friends or family partying or exploring far-away places.

All those pictures made Bill wonder if he was missing out on exciting excursions. In fact, Bill and his family had never done any of those things. Where had he gone wrong?

Most of his evenings were spent at home with his wife. His kids were all grown-up and had children of their own. His non-farm excitement revolved around their grandchildren and keeping up with their school activities.

The next group of people who posted frequently seemed to have serious concerns about injustices happening in the world. They had very strong beliefs about what was right and what was wrong. They also felt those who did not embrace their position were not just wrong but were truly bad people.

There were some posts and positions that Bill agreed with, but there were many other things that he disagreed with. Bill could feel the anger and frustration oozing out of not only what was said but also the responses. He skipped over most of these groups.

The next group of people were filled with great sadness because of sickness and death. Their tragedies were on full display and often offered too many details for the public. Bill had compassion for those who were suffering and genuinely cared about them. Most of the people Bill did not know personally and had little opportunity to help them.

Along with this group, there were also people asking for money. There were numerous requests for public fundraising and calls to assist in paying for worthy causes. Bill thought some causes were frivolous or just plain wrong.

Bill also spent many hours watching repair videos. He found himself watching people fix electric motors, grain augers, combine yield monitors, and even looked up how to make a quilting frame for his wife. From there, it was just a short jump to finding videos from life coaches and those giving advice on what to eat and how to exercise.

Bill found that if he watched one topic, then similar videos would appear in his search and viewing list. The first time Bill went shopping for an impact driver, he was surprised to find advertisements and videos for torque wrenches and socket sets showing up later on his phone.

A change in Bill had occurred over time.

He used to look down on people who sat in the doctor's office staring at their phones instead of talking to each other. But now he found himself pulling out his phone and ignoring people around him. Even more concerning, Bill found himself sitting at home spending hours watching videos to supposedly "research" various topics.

The constant drum beat of information flowing into his head had somehow gotten out of control. Not only did it consume his time, but it also affected his outlook on life.

As he looked around, he saw almost everyone else in a similar position. If there had been some diabolical plot to overthrow the world by giving everyone a cell phone, Bill believed the plan had worked.

Was there something to be done? Had the world fundamentally changed? Perhaps Bill had been left behind, or maybe he was also addicted to the technology which surrounded him and everyone he knew.

As a fan of Benjamin Franklin's life lessons, Bill decided to begin a five-step program to change this part of his life.

First, he would limit the amount of time he spent looking at his phone or computer at home. He decided one hour in the evening was more than enough.

Second, he resolved to talk to others when he was out in public, even if they were strangers. There would be no more looking at the phone in the doctor's office. He decided he would talk to others even if they thought he was weird or strange.

Third, Bill decided he would limit how much time he spent watching, listening to or reading the news. It seemed the news was always so negative and pushed a feeling of urgency. Bill was in a constant state of agitation and frustration over the things that were going on in the world.

Fourth, Bill would take up a new hobby, which would make him a better person. Bill decided he would learn how to paint.

He had watched enough Bob Ross shows to have enough confidence to accept the invitation to paint mountains and landscapes. The problem was there weren't any mountains out Bill's back window. He found it was hard to paint rows of corn with even the smallest paint brush. On the other hand, it forced him to look more objectively at the physical world around him.

Fifth, Bill resolved to read a paper book for 45 minutes each day. Bill was determined to break the electronic hold the world had on him. His public library was still filled with paper books on every topic. Holding the book in his hands and being able to place it down was less addictive than scrolling through his phone.

Over time, things changed in Bill's life. Much to his surprise, there were extreme withdrawal pains as he dialed back his social media and news consumption. He had some occasional relapses, but eventually things improved. He found himself engaging more with people around him. He was less concerned about what everyone else was doing and more concerned about what he could accomplish.

His painting skills evolved enough to hang his favorite "Farm Sunset" painting above the filing cabinet in his office.

Bob Dunaway and Associates offer estate and retirement planning. Gary Johnson can be reached at 563-927-4554 or by emailing him at [email protected].

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