Just One is an online journal written by Kelly. You can find the Just One archives here or access all of Blissfully Domestic’s online journals here.

As much as I embrace the digital age, the intangibility of it frightens me sometimes.  I like that I can store 5,000 albums in iTunes without enduring the calamity of 5,000 jewel cases. I love that I can take as many photos as I want with my digital camera and I never have to develop a single unwanted, blurry image.  I haven’t set foot in an actual bank in ages.

Of course, I miss album art and the thrill of physically holding that new piece of music in my hands. I miss the surprise of opening an envelope of recently developed photos and seeing that one perfect shot, mingled with all the out-of-focus ones.  I don’t miss going to the bank, but I do worry about how skewed my child’s understanding of finance will be.  She NEVER sees cash. She thinks all coins are pennies.

The digital ephemera of our modern lives is as easily erased as it is stored.   It takes up no space physically and yet it takes up so much of our time. I can spend hours punching the keys and moving the mouse on my computer and produce absolutely nothing that can be touched or held.  For my daughter’s sake (and mine) I need to find more balance between the virtual world and the real one. I need to be an example to Violet for existing in three dimensions.  Recipes can be found in well-loved, finger smudged cook books.  Photos don’t need to be perfect and endlessly PhotoShop’d. Cut and paste can be done without the benefit of a  mouse.

The Internet is great, but it is scrubbed clean of human imperfection. There is no taste, touch or smell and it will never lead you to discover the  joy of peeling dried white glue off of your fingers.

photo by Kevin Zollman

Kelly is busy perfecting her semi-charmed life over at Heathen Family Revival.