Rejoicing in slow internet

While sitting in front of the gradually loading screen wishing for high speed (you can't get it way out here), I realized that the tortoise pace really does have it's benefits. And even slow internet qualifies as one of those things that we are told to "rejoice in". :)

The benefits are there: The temptation to browse the internet or read the comments on a controversial news story is greatly diminished. You are forced to decide whether it is really worth waiting for the page to load. I still check my e-mail and favorite blogs, but more often than not, I find myself spending less time on the computer because of the wait.

I've also gotten more sleep. The internet invariably seems to fade out altogether when I decide to blog at night, and this forces me to bed. A good thing, right?

It encourages creativity. When the answer to just about any problem is just a click away, the internet can easily become a crutch. Of course, it's awfully handy, but maybe not always quite as necessary as imagined. Our grandmas somehow really did manage to cook without consulting the online chefs.

There are blessings in most frustrations of life, and that is certainly true with slow, unreliable internet. Blessing to remember when I return to a high speed connection...

photo by Theo Kleen