It was 42 days without any access to online social networking that was by far a very interesting project to have gone through… although the initial reason for my online shutdown was for Lent and for those that don’t know what Lent is, it is a religious tradition Catholics have had for years.. it is a time where Catholics who believe in this tradition to give up something they really enjoy or love for the 42 days of Lent which is the 42 days before Easter Sunday when Jesus Christ gave his life and resurrected to save us sinners… so to me it was a piece of cake because to me it was something really minor for what my creator in heaven has done for me in my life… I owed it to him.
It sure was a very interesting journey because not only was it a time to reflect and realize to take notice where Jesus Christ stood in your life personally but it was a journey that took me through life that made me realize something else… that life truly is much bigger then what we live it day in and day out… life truly has its divine meaning for each and every one of us and how we live it everyday through each course of the day… the deeper end of the true meaning of what we call this life of ours and the choices we make to live it. The greater power behind only to have realized that people really do take life for granted and don’t sit there to take a breather to really see the true meaning of life because we are so busy with technology…
I know we all may have different interests in our own beliefs and the extensions of what we believe in our personal lives.. but ya know mine… for those that have followed me for years now know that I have a strong connection and belief in my creator and the extensions of Jesus Christ and the holy Mary mother of God. These are the higher powers that exist in my life and are the foundation of my existence in life… but for everyone I know and understand that everyone has different beliefs and religions to what they consider their higher power in life… but my point on this is that no matter what your belief or your religion is, that we must all have a higher power to what we consider our foundation of our existence because without that we would not be here…
So with that in focus of where our personal higher power plays whatever role in our personal life, its exactly what I did… I reflected on where my God stands in my life and even though everyone who knows me knows my personal connection with my God is strong and in place and has been for years, these 40 days did take me through a journey where I found my faith a bit more and was able to connect with my God on a higher level… I realized that even me a Man of great faith was separating from my personal God… with this time to reflect in great depths without the noise and distraction of the daily usage of online social networking… it only helped me focus on the important things in life that I had disconnected from… life, family, faith, my God and myself… which I regained in this moment of Lent.
Beyond the initial reason for giving up online social networking, I found myself and regained the me I had first started with… it was crazy because I honestly didn’t see that until I logged off of my online social networks and had nothing but still and quietness all around me… I slowly realized that we as a fast pace society who rely on the very fast developing technology that our lives revolve around so much that without it we feel naked, dead or incompetent… REAL TALK… it was the day right after I Logged off that I realized that this world had truly become a world of technology and the days of simple conversation of the 80’s and 90’s were dead.. with that came the extinction of a world we once knew that only gave way to another world… a totally different world of intelligent computers, cell phones, appliances and worst of it all… less human interaction.
So what I thought was only going to be 40 days of just giving up online social networking actually became a time to reflect on life, faith, religion, and personal growth which I will say was something I had to get use to in the beginning and will be honest, did get a little depressing at first because I honestly didn’t realize how much I was on these sites and how much of my time was spent on them and it turned out it was between 8 to 12 hours a day… but in the end it sure was a great experience, it really did make me value things a bit more and I realized things about life a bit more as well… a very interesting journey… a very interesting project…
The following is my journal I logged and recorded from day one to the very end as I lived it… this was my journey…
Log In Day 1. (Fri, February 24th)
It is Friday night and it’s the first night that I have logged off from all social networks. Nothing seems out of the normal but then again I am just hangin out at home having some beers and it is around 10pm so a pretty chilled and relaxing Friday to begin. I will say that its been over an hour already and I think in that hour I would have probably been glued to my computer on Facebook or Twitter or something… but its actually kinda nice just watchin some movies and hangin out at home. The roommate has left and its just me at home and my beers lol… gotta say this real quick, I don’t know what journey lies ahead for me in this Lent Online Shutdown but all I know is that as a very big fan of Online Social Networking this sure is gonna be very interesting to pull off. I have no doubt that I can pull it off and I say that because of my cause, Lent… giving something so minor up for something way bigger then myself… being a very faithful man and believing in my God and my savior Jesus Christ is what I know will make this easy for me. Knowing in the end I will have another story/blog to write on this experience… so here it goes…signing off.
Log In Day 2. (Sat, February 25th)
I CANT DO THIS!!!! Wow, its only 10:26am the very next morning and I seriously can not find anything to do with myself. It is the weekend and uuuughhhh this is crazy… I have just realized how much I am addicted to Facebook, its like I’m missing a huge part of my life. The common connection with the outside world is gone and not only that but for the next 42 days I will be with out the Social Network really, wow really… okay I know I gave it up for Lent but now sitting here thinking dang maybe I really didn’t know what I was giving up, maybe because I have never done anything like this and didn’t know how addicted I really was to this Online Social Networking phenomenon. But I am a man of my word and further than that I am a man of faith and know I can… yes I can lol… but honestly, this really is something… for those that have followed me over the past years know that I have always been an Online Social Network Junkie… shit my life is all about Social Networking, posting my life online through all the portals one can possibly connect through… this may sound a little ridiculous and over exaggerated but I Social Networking really is a huge percentage of my life its my connection to the world and my followers… I say it’s a big percentage as big as 40% of my life is Online Social Networking… my life consists of Faith, Family, Friends and then Social Networking… all with their percentages but Social Networking is pretty big in my life. I woke up around 9 this morning and it is now 10:40am and in that little while I tried distracting my mind by watching some TV but the problem is that Im not much of a TV person so I get bored easily… so now here I am writing in my log and going beside myself… hhhmmmmmm just so crazy and soooooo very interesting how much of our existence we give into the Social Networking phenomenon and much more the Facebook phenomenon, well at least myself… and I know many of you do too… guess its me myself and my 42 days of free time… this is seriously gonna be something to write about I can tell you that… off we go into my 42 days… signing off…
Log In Day 3. (Sun, February 26th)
Just getting back home from church and wow that was very nice to have spent the day with the family and of course my sunshine, my monkey. Sitting there and listening to the words of the bible and really realizing my reason on giving up Social Networking made me feel a lot more easy and realizing yes this is the exact reason why I gave it up… then looking down to my left at my damn sister sending a quick message on Facebook didn’t help lol… jokingly telling her “lets see log into my Facebook real quick” and her laughing at me… but then of course knowing it was all in jokingly humor. As we left church I sat in prayer for a quick minute and said “Lord I do this for you, for all the blessings you have given me and my family this is the very least I can do to show you… I do this for you” with that I left with a heart full of joy knowing this was for a good cause and it was for something way bigger then me and my own life… it was the salvation of my Jesus Christ… that’s what this is all about, and that’s what Lent is about… we left church and ended up going to breakfast like we always do… I mean come on you cant go to church and not do breakfast lol… so we headed to have some good breakfast at IHOP like we always do and then dropped off my family and came home… I got home around 2:30pm and began to do some laundry since its Sunday, to me Sundays is always laundry day lol… was home chillin with the roommate for a minute and we were watching some movies… it was cool and all but every minute I kept coming into my room and kept getting the urge to log on or at least to log onto the my computer and go to the login page of Facebook just to see what it looked like lmao… Even though church was helpful earlier still having given up something so huge was killing me inside not being able to connect with the world and those who admire me and just the simple connection of being able to share your life with the thousands who look up to you and make your day that much better each and every day is still hard. It is now 9:45pm and I think Imma start getting ready for bed… jeeeees so funny how much more time you actually have when you don’t have Social Networking access lol… time for a nice hot shower then head off to bed… another day comes to a close and now lets see how the first day at work without Social Networking will be tomorrow… looking forward to it lol… signing off…
Log In Day 4. (Mon, February 27th)
It is 8:45pm and the day is over… wow I have never said this but this Monday SUCKED… lol… even though I did have lots of more time to focus on my job and I know I did a lot more today then ever lol… it was still fucken wack because I wasn’t able to post up my daily inspirational posts I normally do that many always thank me for… its what I’m known for its what people always look forward to and its what makes my life that much more meaningful that I know I inspire and help others with my words… yeah all of that I couldn’t post today or anything… no Facebook, no Twitter, no Tumblr, NOTHING… uggghhhhh only day 4 and dang life sure seems very boring and quiet for me… as I mentioned in day one that I didn’t realize just how much I really was addicted to this Social Networking and all its meaning in my life… fuck sounds stupid but wow Facebook really is a big part of my daily routine its like I feel useless because I’m not making a difference in someone’s morning or afternoon or night with my posts my pics and my words… its whats missing in my life and having to find different outlets of emotional frustration really isn’t an option for me, yes I know distracting myself with other things such as family, friends, going out, exercise and other things yes that has totally been understood but it’s not having the sense of making that difference in this world is what’s making this hard… but I guess its all a part of the experience of the Online Social Network Shutdown right… just taking this day by day, with knowing my initial reason and why I’m doing this makes this experience easy though I am human and when something is missing from a humans ability to acknowledge something is not there that they are use to, it becomes foreign and they are left with having to alter the course of their daily routine… this is my ability… this is my life… this is my experience… day 4, comes to a close… signing off…
Log In Day 6. (Sat, March 3rd)
Well it is Saturday 10:25am and a whole week has gone by… I gave it a week to pass to get use to this experience of not having access to any Online Social Networking site and guess it did me well… I have developed the sense of getting use to this… I continue my daily connection in my daily prayers and know why I am doing this but further than that I have developed the self realization that this is me time, a time to dedicate to my creator for what he’s done not only for me but for what he stands for in the catholic religion… I do have to say that this journey really has opened my eyes to a lot more then what I expected… life truly has become more magnified through this… knowing where my priorities really are and where they should be… what really means more to me and what should mean more… how we live our lives day in and day out with the significant meanings and insignificant… the choices we make the ways we live and what we choose to live and why… this past week has been a true reflection on my past journeys in life and the connections I have had in my higher power and the impact it has had in my own existence. Even though I long and yearn and much miss the daily connections with all those who truly inspire me to be the man I continue to be day in and day out, lifes reflection has truly become very visible in this journey. Family and friends oh yeah and taking up a new membership at a local gym which I have not done in years, have helped with occupying my time during this void of Social Networking for Lent. Life will always be amazing… but when you are given a time in your life where you actually have time to reflect on just how amazing life really is, then that’s when it really becomes AMAZING… its only been 9 days since I logged off yet the experience has already had a big impact on me and my life and how I live it. Woke up to another beautiful sunny bright Saturday so I think it is time to go out and enjoy it… that’s exactly what I think I will do. No matter what, no matter what you are going through know that life always has something to look forward to… if you believe it then you’ll see it… a great day, a great life… time to go enjoy it… signing off…
Log In Day 7. (Mon, March 5th)
It is another grueling Monday and just getting home from the gym, its about 7:28pm… really excited about having joined a public gym after 6 years at my job and having the convenience of a a private gym there. Having all this free time motivated me to join… cant say what gym because of course it would be free promotion for them… lol… anyways… dang totally forgot why I HATE public gyms… but after going today the first weekday there reminded me very much why I HATE public gyms… even though I know this is my time to reflect in the time of Lent and having given up Online Social Networking and all its reasons… just couldn’t help but to realize the reason why I HATE public gyms… so crowded with the WRONG people… people, who are there for the wrong reasons… especially them females who go to the gym all dolled up with make up, hair done, with a cute little work out outfit and of course with the roll dog homegirl who they need at their side or else they wont go… because they cant go to the gym ALLLLLLL by themselves because that would simply look ridiculous right… LMAO UUUGHHHHH… fucken lame asses… I swear I saw at least 5 of them girls like that today and it drove me crazy… women who take another friend talk up a storm instead of focusing on their work outs and when they do work out they don’t even give it their 100 percent… the mothaphukhers that are there texting, flippin through music, on the phone talking, the meaty bulky muscle guys who have huge arms big ass calves and really nice bodies yet they have the biggest belly which I have yet to understand LMAO… there are SOOOOOOOO many people there that I see that drive me crazy but I’m there for only one reason right… and that is ME… so it may bug me but I focus on what I am there for… so yes back to being excited for having joined a gym… looking to start a fitness program and maybe even possibly taking it to Facebook and really doing something with it… don’t know why I didn’t think of this before… should be fun. All in all taking today as another great day really focused on me and my fitness… really looking forward to my new body with my new gym membership… time to go shower and get out of these stank clothes since I just got home from the gym, balls all sweaty and ass probably all stank lmao…. Time to go shower and call it a day… remember ya, when you reflect you realize and when you realize you value and when you value, you live… signing off…
Log In Day 8. (Sun, March 18h)
It is about 6:22pm… today login in with a very very very high spirit and very big smile on my face. Today I headed to church and what was read out from the scriptures and what the priest said today was very inspirational… he was a new priest from Mexico who had come out to be a part of this catholic celebration and what he had to say was beyond anything. He basically said that Lent isn’t really about giving up what one loves in life for 42 days, its not about Easter, its not about religion… its about taking a time out of the year to realize where God lives in your life and where you hold him. It was so true and everything he said… how easily we forget the true meaning of life with the distractions of life and how easily we forget what God truly stands for. And even beyond being religious or not I think as society we all forget the true meaning of life and that is to hold your purpose in it. Seems that life holds many different walks of life and life holds many different religions and beliefs, but ultimately I think life is nothing without something way bigger then you and your existence. No matter even if you are not religious that you must have something bigger then you and considered a higher power in your own life because with out it your personal existence would have nothing to create its foundation on thus creating your total being. Like the priest said today that life is always so much bigger than what people put it out to be but at the same time life is only as big as you see it. As ya know and for those that truly know me know that I am a huge fan of God, Jesus Christ, the holy Mary mother of Joseph and the Holy Spirit. I stand and have always stood as a God fearing man, not much as in fearing God himself because he’s proven to me that he is a VERY merciful God but fearing as in fearing for my own sins I commit as a human yet excused for the reasons of how human he mad me. No matter how you live your life, no matter what you believe in, it’s the beauty of knowing that you have a higher power of any element in life that you can turn to when ever you feel the particle of who you are and what you are about can latch on only to heal your mind body and soul in lifes journeys, roads and experiences… and this my friends is what I opened my eyes to, to todays visit to my Gods house… it sure was beautiful, a beautiful message and a great day to have spent with family… I sometimes sit there and stare at my monkey and realize each and every time that how truly blessed I have been as a man who has been through a lot and has been given a lot in return. Once again, I am a Man who honestly believes you are as blessed as you see it… your life is as big as you see it through your very own eyes and that my babes is only the true facts I took with me today… life is good… signing off…
Log In Day 9.(Fri, March 30th)
It is 7:50pm and now just waiting for my boy to head over to hang out… very excited because tomorrow I have a photo shoot for my new Body Revolution program… very excited about it because since I have stopped all Online Social Networking sites I’ve had lots of time to focus on other things and as ya read joining the gym once again has been one of them and I love it… been passed all the stupid girls that go there for the wrong reasons lol and now just focusing on me and my target, getting there really good and proud of myself, havent missed not one day of the gym according to my schedule of work outs… NICE… lol… today was a crazy day at work but along with all my co-workers I was reminded that Lent was just a few more days or at least mine, I know Lent is officially over April 8th but have to cut it short just 2 days before on April 6th… God knows I’ve done well.. Giving up these 42 days just for him and did it very well… kinda went crazy the first week or so but what has kept me going is knowing all the wonders he’s done for me and my life and all the treasures he’s given me. It is now about 8:19pm and just sittin here having a beer and just thinking back to February 24th when I first logged off and what life was about then to what life is about today. Knowing that in 7 days I will be re-connected with the Social Networking world and my life will once again be way different then what it was… though I know today marks another day of peace, relaxation and time for me to have me time… even though my homie is headed this way its still considered me time… no distraction of any Social Networking site or connection of any madness… I gotta say that these past few weeks were great I honestly opened my eyes more to family, my faith and life itself… just so crazy how things always turn out and what things become. Just so crazy how much affect Social Networking has had an effect on my life from day one back in 2005 on Myspace to what it is now 2012 on Facebook… just how much it really fulfils my time and life not because it is a social network, but because of the fulfilment I get off of the all feedbacks from people who tell me day in and day out what I have done for them and their life. Seriousy its an amazing feeling to know you are the reason why people have changed for the better. Imma share something with ya real quick, I know I’ve had a couple of beers already but fuck it lol… I think everyone in life who exists in life has “a” purpose… mine, I honestly believe is to change this world one person at a time for as long as I live… and not only do I feel its my purpose but its also my destiny and my true happiness… beyond the blessings of today and all its beauty today I celebrate two things… life and the coming of Jesus Christ and for dying to save all human life… you know its funny how I have always been one to keep my true and very personal connection with my God exactly that “personal” I’ve never been one to go around and preach to the world and try to change others to follow my beliefs, maybe its why I’ve always seen people who do do that in a weird light… because honestly I have never been one to believe that you can or should try to change peoples personal beliefs, perceptions and thoughts about religion and life… but I have also believed that nobody can ever take your personal connection to your own higher power in what ever that is whether it be God/Jesus Christ, Buda, Ala, Mietzi, or Menotj… it is considered a higher power and some form of element way bigger than you. One will always have that personal connection that nobody but themselves will be able to understand. Time to log off… da homie is just about here and its time to chill and enjoy the last days of this all… signing off…
Log In Day 10. (Thur, April 5th)
Well well well we finally made it to the last day before Daddys Social Network Shutdown for Lent is over… WOW what a crazy experience it has been for me… very spiritual and emotional it was to have had this experience and for the reasons… its about 7:58pm and its Thursday night… been home drinking with the roomie for about 2 hours now and honestly its been a very beautiful ride… she just came back from Vegas and havent caught up with her since she’s been back yesterday, life threw me a curve ball but honestly for the joy and praise I have witnessed in these past 42 days and not only that but what I have lived in the past year have strengthened my ability to survive it and know that everything in life turns out as good as you believe it can… since life has brought me here to Pasadena life sure has been great to me, beyond any and all obstacles life has given me here in Pasadena I gotta say I have felt I have connected much more with my family, my friends, love in life and of course my faith… never really looked at Lent as a time to reflect on where exactly you hold God in your life until this year doing this experiment of giving up Social Networking. It was a time to reflect spiritually and of course time to reflect on the realization on just how much technology has so much power over our lives today and the connection we give into it, or at least someone like me. Even though I have my time to enjoy the time away and more time for things that really have the bigger signification in life I will be the fist to say “I MISSED THE FUCK OUT OF YOU GUYS” all my followers, admirers and those who call themselves my “Fans” as well… for those who have made me the Man I am today the Man I love to be, posting the daily morning inspiration, the daily comics, the daily knowledge and the daily pictures that have made me the person I am… Daddy, DaddyHexx and beyond all that Evón… in the beginning I kinda thought I had jumped way ahead of myself by saying I was giving up Social Networking and didn’t realize how connected and addicted I was after the fact of giving it up, but now after the 42 days have come to an end I see it completely different and DAMN glad I gave it up… it was a time for me to realize and rejuvenate my soul and I did exactly that, so at this point of this experience I read back and trip out on how it all took place… from the first day when I first realized this was gonna be harder then what I expected to today April 5th couple hours before being able to log back onto Facebook…. just realizing exactly what I saw and experienced in all this… so in closing… I say this… know what your higher power is in life, know what to believe in know that life is grater then Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and all them other sites… know where to put your priorities in life and know that the true blessings you will always find in true friends and family. Easty is two days away and for us cahtolics its gonna be a day of celebration but for the world it should be a day of celebration, a celebration of life… as I have always stated that one can never stop living… this message goes along side with that knowing that no matter what life brings no matter what life puts you in know that you will always have something to look forward to if you see it and if you believe it. God maybe the higher power for the majority of this world but that higher power ultimately comes into play as long as you allow it to be bigger than you. It is where you will always find your sanctuary and see it as your safely net. God and Jesus Christ has always been mine and always will… so for that I close it with this… let life become your personal journal through the journey you create today as you walk into tomorrow, let the pages of yesterday become your foundation but do not let it be your author for the pages yet to be written for tomorrow. Live life as colorful as you wish and as loud as you wish but don’t forget… “Don’t Ever Stop Living”
God Bless and live life…
Signing off… Evón
This was my journey…
