Unplugged

Daily writing prompt
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?

What does “unplugged” even mean anymore?

I read library books on Libby or Kindle, I swim with my Apple Watch, I meet with faraway friends on Zoom, I go for walks with my phone and AirPods. People even meditate online now.

If the power (and therefore the WiFi) gets knocked out by a storm, I just switch to cell phone data and charge my phone in the car.

If I’m truly unplugged (without electricity and cell coverage), something bad has happened. I’m scrambling for D batteries to put in my boombox, which also gets AM/FM radio. We’re bringing in firewood from the garage and heating water on a camp stove.

In the olden days, “unplugged” simply meant that a band did a set with acoustic instruments, instead of electric. The results were mixed. This one was cool: The Cure’s unplugged “Just Like Heaven” from 1991.