Opting Out

More and more often, I find myself opting out; taking the path less trodden. One of the first fixtures of modern culture to be jettisoned was the television set. My son, at 18 months, was obsessed by the images, and it just didn't seem like a good thing for a developing brain. So when it broke, we put it on the curb and that was that. Even before then, my wife and I were skeptical of TV, and never bothered getting cable.

We haven't exactly opted out of that other American icon: the car, although I almost never drive mine anymore, having switched first to a 14 speed bike, later simplified to a single speed (although that is perhaps a conformist move here in San Francisco).

My son had a very difficult time in his first few months as school. He was seriously distressed by the experience, and we decided the best thing for him was to be at home. With a typical maker-fair DIY attitude, we figured we could do it ourselves better. And so far it is working out well. He's much better, psychologically, and isn't suffering academically (in fact, he's already a year ahead of his peers in math).

In July of 2007, I resigned from my job. I probably haven't opted out of the work world for good. I suspect I'll have to go back, if only to retain my sanity. But so far, I am enjoying the time and trying to gain a new perspective on life.