Good things come to those who wait…

and wait… and wait…

Unless old (un)FairPOINT pricks me again, tonight is my last night with my dear dial-up connection.

We’ve had what, 15 years together? He was so splendid then–a young mother’s lifeline; an emerging writer’s canvass; a recovering educator’s renewed venue.

Over the years, I discovered that others had speedier connections, but still we shared the same process… “connecting, connecting, connecting… AUTHENTICATING.”

This is a dim memory for most even in these parts of rural Vermont.  There is no longer any pause before expanding into the World Wide Web–no aperitif–no loading, loading, loading foreplay–no authentification of desire or intention.

With our zealous race toward immediate gratification, what has been lost? What will be lost for me when I simply open up my laptop TOMORROW–and see–gray bars BLACKENED–within the privacy of my own home?!

I’ve learned that there is no greater sense of contentment to be found anywhere else–if  not first found in the now. And so I take this time to write my appreciation for my dear dial-up–for his faithfulness–even when the power is out–for the AMPLE time he’s given me for

bathroom breaks, water breaks, snack grabbing breaks, stretching breaks, laundry moving breaks, yelling at the kid breaks, scratching my back breaks, picking my nose breaks–my teeth, my hair, my sanity…

–all manner of breaks during the sweet, syrupy pauses of his beautifully SLOW connection.

“Whatever slow us down, whatever brings us back into the slow circles of nature… is an instrument of grace.”

May Sarton

Isn’t there a whole SLOW movement right now? Because I’ve got their champion–and tomorrow, I’ll send him there–to lead their cause–while I

expand

into the

broad

arms

of

3

Megabytes

of

DSL!!!

Anyone need a modem?

Kelly Salasin