Mar
The Anatomy Of A Wired Day.
Written by Shiko
The following takes place between 7.30 am and 5.00 pm. First order of the day I check 3 email accounts. On a bad day I come face to face with a cute smiling teddy asking me to please forward it to 10 people and I will miraculously reconnect with people from my past who I miss dearly. If I’m really unlucky there’ll also be a peaceful dove staring into yonder after drinking peaceful water from a fountain. That up there would be yours truly waiting for the miracle years after forwarding some mail.
In the course of the morning I have twitter, skype, gtalk, a download going on, numerous blogs, and more news tabs than I can count. All the while I’ve got itunes on shuffle zapping anywhere from Eminem to Chibalonza. Yet somehow this is still not enough for wired me. I need more. Onana has good beats and a nice video. I miss Teddy Pendergrass. Jennifer Hudson has a new one out. Long story short, add three tabs of YouTube to the mix.
Libya is burning. Japan is sliding. The US Internal Security Department has created some new strange gizmos. Someone wore an ugly dress to the oscars. Paris Hilton has done something dumb. It is of paramount importance that I eat some rare berries from South Canada. Kim Kardashian can sing. The styrofoam coffee cup on my desk is potentially carcinogenic. So is my lip-gloss…
By now my morning is near cooked. A text message here and mobile call there. I need to sort out something for family and that means more phone calls that beget more phone calls.
This is the point at which the desk phone rings. I pick the stapler and start prattling away. Yes, its only morning and I’m exhibiting the first signs of brain freeze. The call is from the kindly company banker insisting that we need to close that deal soonest, otherwise at the current rates, the dollar could be at 100 bob tomorrow. That would be the stuff changed dynamics of a transaction are made of. To that end, excuse me, I have a meeting to attend. And quite a bit of work to do actually. The fact that I’m in the office means that the day is, or should be, all about my employer.
The hours between tea time and afternoon, including lunch hour disappear in a haze of office work, interspersed by the occasional tweet that often leads to a site that leads to another. Suddenly its 4pm. OMG its 4. With just one hour left, I realize that I need to urgently reply so and so’s email, complete that article on google docs, and call so and so to arrange for a 5.30pm meeting for my side hustle. Only then can I go home and continue with my ‘always on’ life. This is the point at which I try to open my drawers using car central lock.
Angry and short of time, I vow to cut out some of this switched on ness. First culprit would be gtalk and twitter. Skype stays. Blogs…… Just when I’m thinking of hanging my blithering blogging boots, I come across this comment from one of Biko Zulu’s readers: ‘That is how I established my reading list. ie my favourite blogger is http://shikomsa.com/. She’s intelligent, mature, writes well and has a sense of humor. She attracts like minded bloggers, who I read often.
Madam, I’ve been reading your blog for years even through the various site migrations. And the bloggers who you follow and in turn follow you are just as fascinating. Keep doing your thing for our sakes’.
Haiya! Boots back on.
Thankfully this demon of a day is not so common place for me. A lot of times I manage to nip it in the bud and have a normal working day. Once in a while I fail.
By artsim on Mar 30, 2011
Welcome to the 21st century. We are wired 24/7. Got a bit too much for me so nowadays my phone is nearly always off, you can leave a voice mail or text me. No internet access after work hours. Trying to get my sanity back.
By Iquirakenya on Mar 30, 2011
Lovely read as always!
By The Spinster on Mar 30, 2011
Your blog certainly is very entertaining so look for something else to throw away. Like twitter. (I seriously have never gotten the hang of it. What’s the point?!)
This is certainly the era of TMI whatever which way you turn
By Shiko-Msa on Mar 30, 2011
Artsim for me internet access after work hours is sawa. What I want to cut is internet access during work hours. Or at least keep it to a minimum.
Thanks Iquirakenya.
The Spinster Lol. Twirra keeps me switched on. Gives me an insight into interesting people. I’ve met, interacted with and had mad fun with people I’d otherwise never have met. Wengine wanajijua. Like the two characters just before you here.
By @edwinabuga on Mar 30, 2011
I get that feeling sometimes. Like I was diagonally parked in a parallel universe. Like I have a 2d mind in a 3d reality. Like I’m missing something. Half the time I’m not sure what the fuck I’m doing. I move with the chaos the chaos it moves me takes me where it wants. I’m typing this comment into my phone as I cross the street folder in hand heading to CIC with 500 instructions from my boss on which policy specifications to inquire about. Frustration. Oh wait is that tanya i see (yeah its her but who cares) i digress i guess women ARE really better than guys at multitasking.
By Shiko-Msa on Mar 30, 2011
Abuga there is your cue to slow down before one day your brains go pop!! And then we shall say you smoked weed. You know what inspired this article? An article by Sunny Bindra.
He says ‘Strategic thinking is not done in tweets and buzzes; it requires prolonged absorption of information and quiet contemplation of options. You need to give your undivided attention to the complex issues that face you. Telling yourself that you need to do that while calling mailing, texting and tweeting is a fool’s game’.
Y’all can read the rest of genius here: http://tinyurl.com/6xtveln
By Shiko-Msa on Mar 30, 2011
Bindra’s article is tending towards senior managers and Directors but methinks the mess cuts across the whole workforce.
By Simonsig on Mar 30, 2011
Entertaining is an understatemnt. What rare berries are you required to eat?
By Shiko-Msa on Mar 30, 2011
Simonsig I forget. But it was not Straw, blue, rasp, or any other berry name that is dropped about.
By OtienoHongo on Mar 30, 2011
I want to reply sensibly to your post but I have 2 proposals open and a report due tomorrow (in fact 21 word documents are open), 3 budgets on excel are waiting my attention, I have 16 tabs open in my browser in addition to your blog, 4 urgent mails to reply to and many other non urgent ones, a few dms on twitter that I really should answer before I am taken for a snob, other links on twitter that I have a mental note to open and read and oops, I can see more emails checking into outlook -which begs the question, what am I doing on Shiko’s blog? Off I go!
By Kirima on Mar 31, 2011
Hi Shiko I feel you on internet addiction, I had to cut down on Twitter especially at home with the family. But I can’t resist checking Twitter on the phone every moment I can spare.
I hope the worthy compliment on your blog will be reciprocated with more posts
By Cee on Mar 31, 2011
I def second the comment “Madam, I’ve been reading your blog for years even through the various site migrations. And the bloggers who you follow and in turn follow you are just as fascinating. Keep doing your thing for our sakes’.” I’m glad to see you ar back at it, mimi bado najaribu…..hope it happens soon
By maua on Mar 31, 2011
I’ve been in fb, blogger, etc rehab, I just can’t multitask. Like a one man’s woman, same case here.
By grace kay on Apr 1, 2011
man, and i thought i had it bad – only have 8 tabs open lol
By Phases on Apr 2, 2011
@ OtienoHongo – Really. All those docs and tabs open. Man, you need to slow down.
@ shiko – its not anyway easier for me. Every user in our company has a docking station. So I have my laptop screen on twirra,fb,blogs,yahoo/gmail/hotmail/
and outlook. And I have office work on the monitor. Thing is IE doesn’t hold so many tabs,so it keeps crashing. Its against company policy to install Mozilla. So IE keeps crashing,and I keep reopening the tabs and I realize its 4pm.
By Danzo on Apr 4, 2011
I feel you all. The wired life is hard! Too much connectivity can be dangerous!
Reminds me of a quote from the movie ‘He’s just not that into you’
~ I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted to his cell, and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It’s exhausting.~ Mary
Ok, now back to my 16 tabs on chrome (Imagine you folks made me stop and count), now five of those tabs were opened just coz of reading this post. Aiii. God help us.
By OtienoHongo on Apr 4, 2011
@ Phases, I will slow down and close most tabs though I guess I now have to open the link to your blog!
By Shiko-Msa on Apr 4, 2011
OtienoHongo clearly you take the medal. 3 Budgets on excel are enough to give me a hernia and then you add 21 word documents and then some?! I permit and even urge you to go away indeed! Be sure to come back though. We enjoy the little malice of derailing people.
Kirima post I will. But I just can’t match the Wanjikuunlimited days. That was a lot of blogging!
Cee you’re one of the bloggers I follow. Well, apparently y’all are fascinating. Nice!
Maua tell me about it. I’ve witnessed your journey.
By Shiko-Msa on Apr 4, 2011
Lol Grace. Who says 8 tabs is any better? That’s a lot of info considering links keep leading you to other links.
Phases, wololo! IE. For a short instant there I wondered what IE is. As in its been that long. I think I’ll use it kesho just to remember the feel. Otherwise am all chrome.
Danzo since I did this article I rarely have more than 4 tabs open. Of course we’re not counting Chromed Bird are we? Its not a tab. Just a little silent bird on the corner of my screen.
Otherwise may I have you all know that I did not talk into a stapler. It ain’t that bad yet.
By Guru on Apr 5, 2011
I blame the word MULTI for infiltrating our world and technology- multi processors for one, multi tabbed browsers, multi tasking application, multi display..and all the other multi-thisandthat gadgets. Thats my Ksh 0.002
By pitzevans on Apr 5, 2011
if i never get to see a another business proposal, or open an excel page, my life will be fulfilled. as for hanging ur boots, don’t dare, without blogs like urs, my life wouldnt have meaning lolest
By Shiko-Msa on Apr 7, 2011
Pitzevans business proposals? I may just send you one! Hang in there.
Guru so we brought it all unto ourselves after all.
By Nyambura on Apr 8, 2011
By Shiko-Msa on Apr 8, 2011
Nyambura how about we start a boycotthenetsfor5daysstraight movement. Last week of this month?
By Nyambura on Apr 11, 2011
*Grins* Count me in
By Shiko-Msa on Apr 12, 2011
Nyambura how about we shift it to 4 days Easter long Weekend? Lol. Cold feet those!
By Nyambura on Apr 14, 2011
C’mon!!!!!
By tulip on Apr 28, 2011
Let the boycott begin….
By Vivacioushy on Jun 15, 2011
This is sooooo hilarious. Are you always wired 24/7. One day you’ll go to the office and there will be no elec and internet…that’s the day you’ll bond with the watching with your hands twitching
By Shiko-Msa on Jun 16, 2011
Nyambura, Tulip I actually did boycott. For the few days I went home for Easter. I peeked every once in a while but generally the boycott was successful.
Vivacioushy 24/7 yes. Though I’ve since cut back quite a bit since doing this article.
Black outs and lack of internet will not stop me. Iko simu. *grin*
By Bloodmoon on Mar 20, 2012
one year down the line and i have cut down on computer/laptop on net time…
now i have 16 tabs open on my phone. oh well.. (sighs and shakes head)
and shiko, usihang boots!
By Shiko-Msa on Mar 21, 2012
Bloodmoon I’ve seriously cut back on online life since I did this article. Every once in while I catch the habit creeping back and stop it in its tracks. Now I generally find it easier to ignore links no matter how tantalizing the teaser may be.
But 16 tabs on the phone? Just come back to comps/lappy!
I wont hang. Will just allow myself to get kidogo lazy. Thanks!