Because as much as I appreciate and often revel in today's ever advancing technology, I often reflect on how much I wouldn't mind throwing it all away for something much simpler. Something much less immediate and connected.  It's sad how the disposable, fast paced nature of today's memes and lifestyles have a tendency to suck us in and make us forget where we come from. Make us sacrifice quality and individuality for the sake of quantity.  Make us forget to breathe.

So today I am going to slow down a moment and be thankful for analog things that help me combat the trials and stresses of this uber-speedy digital world.  Maybe it's their ingenuity.  Maybe it's their quality.  Maybe they're just plain cool.  Whatever it is, these analog things make me slow down and just enjoy life for the sake of it.  If only for the moment...

Thankful Four: Analog Things

1. Camping - I have been known to pick a campground or park simply based on lack of cellphone reception. The world hasn't stopped once simply because I turn that devil brain destroyer off and leave it at the bottom of my bag.  And if it did, how would I know the difference?  I'm lost in the woods, now.  What Zombie will bother looking for me all the way out here?
2. Vinyl - There is something about the sound of a needle on wax that just stops my soul wherever it stands.  Old tracks, new mixes ... it doesn't matter.  I married a DJ who was a vinyl purist until recently: while we've both come to embrace the benefits of the mp3 world, we both agree that nothing beats the depth of sound and the sublime nature of music spun off "that big black cd."  It also lends itself well to my next analog love...
3. Yard Sales/ Junk Shops -  Along with my loves of analog and otherwise vintage things, digging through garage & estate sales, flea markets, and the like do a lot for me. It's not just the "stuff" - it's the experience. It's the breakfast peoplewatching at the local diner. The drives down random back roads. The family time. The odd and interesting we stumble across. The ideas and inspiration gleaned from the moments in between.
4. Film Cameras - Namely, the Ciroflex my late great-grandfather gave me & Nikon 35mil I've been kicking around since high school.  While I appreciate the immediacy and cost of digital for point-and-shoot purposes, nothing calms me better n I need to be alone than a drive to nowhere and an afternoon wander in search of some abandoned something-or-other ... framing all the right shots and getting into all the right mysterious places. I'd say my love of film and the abandoned places I capture on it is only surpassed by one analog thing...
5. (bonus!) My Sweetheart - No, not my husband. I mean. I love my husband. :D  But I wanted to dedicate bonus #5 to the girl who's been by my side through it all.  My guitar is my muse and my outlet. If I'm not driving around looking for somewhere to waste film, I've got songwriting on my free time analog agenda.  The standing on stage thing is pretty exhilarating, too.  Connecting in that moment with people - sans computers - sans pretense - sans assumption ... If it weren't for my music, I actually wouldn't be here right now.  Seriously - story for another day - but true nonetheless. 

Part of my analog problem is I'd keep going on about it if I didn't stop myself now.  I wonder what non-digital things or activities you have to be thankful four?

I've kept myself calm over the past few days by busying myself with the small tasks I can control amidst the chaos I couldn't.  Between the "hurry up and wait" I did my best to "take a breath and do."  Those little things became a natural inspiration for this week's Thankful Four Wednesday.  Today my thankfulness is all about things on my to-do list that I can control. That list in its entirety includes everything from "how dirty the toilet is" to "what color that page background will be." To spare you all the gory ugly, I'll just give you 2 work related and 2 not-so-much...

Thankful Four: Things I Can Control

1. SEO/ SEM Reports - It happens that the 1st of the month fell in the middle of my messy week.  I am thankful for having those two days each month where I buckle down, review some dynamically generated graphs and tables - write some notes about campaign performance, and send them on their way.  I write the recommendations and make the campaign changes. I control the report.
2. Housework - This may sound silly, but for me, house chores are a quick escape when I feel everything else has gone terribly wrong. I can do the dishes.  I can vacuum the floor.  I can fold laundry. I can unpack boxes and make beds. Even in the insomnious wee hours, I control the cleanliness of my house.
3. Site Builds/ Frameworks  - Unlike the instability of antediluvian hardware and ornery, indecisive clients: I can control the structure and outcome of the code I write code.  I can also handle the more-predictable side effects of upgrades and new installations. Even when things go a little wonky, I can handle their issues. I can minimize the damage.  As I like to say - I don't break things.  I generate new errors.  I can control the code.
4. Dinner - Even if I don't cook it myself, I don't typically find myself strapped to seat being force fed some unpalatable swill. Well, there was that one time in Santa Ynez ... I mean ... uhhh ... yeah...  When all else fails, I can at least find comfort in the fact that I control what goes into my belly.

Face it, Life is a cacophony of maybes and it's-a-matter-of-whens.  It's important to keep yourself stable by remembering what things you can control.

...what are some sanity-stabilizing little things you are thankful for being able to control amid the chaos?

I find if I set myself a set topic idea for each day of the week, I have much better luck with some daily creative release.  Yesterday I created Don't Be Stupid Tuesday. Today I'm starting Thankful Four Wednesday. Every week I will publicly remind myself of 4 things I'm thankful for. I think it's appropriate - Poor Wednesday is stuck in the middle of the week and often plagued by too-much-to-do-before-Friday-but-I-still-wish-it-was-the-weekend-itis.

Especially on your worst day, it's important to remember all the little things that make life worth it.  That's what I want to focus on. Things like oreo cookies and reading updates from The Onion that really add up.

To the best of my ability, I'll try to theme my thanks every week. I'm also going to make an attempt to start something with #thx4wed on the Twitter.  I hope you'll join in, the more thankful we can be together - the better!

Thankful Four Wednesday: My Daily Commute

2. I am thankful for a car with just enough guts to allow me to merge appropriately, but not so much guts she needs gas every time I accelerate.

3. I am thankful for a child who begs me to play Talking Heads and Death Cab on repeat.  Not the Wiggles.

4. Lastly, I am very, very thankful for coffee, without which my mornings simply wouldn't exist :-D

....What (four) little tiny daily commute things are you thankful for?