I have a new measure for whether or not something I do online, or in podcasting, is worth my time. The question I ask is: What is the real world result?
Anyone with young kids understands that “time is precious” in a new and profound way. Yes, in the sentimental ways - they grow up so fast! But also in the practical, frantic NAP TIME ONLY LASTED 30 MINUTES TODAY AND I HAVE HAD FOUR CUPS OF COFFEE AND NO TIME TO MYSELF! way. (anyone? just me?)
I have a lot of things I want to do - I want to read novels and Icelandic sagas and listen to podcasts. I want to ride horses and hike with my dogs and spend time in our wild and beautiful garden. I want to go to Adoration and talk with my husband about cultural events and even find a way to get to the Latin Mass across town once or twice a month. I also want to be hospitable and open, to have our newly created guest room occupied more often than not, to host dinners and book clubs and all those good things.
All of this takes time. So the hours I spend on this laptop with my eyes on a screen is a serious thing. Is it good? Is it bad? I really need to ask myself is it worth it?
Sometimes the answers are clear and practical. I do audio consulting, podcast creation, etc. that I get paid for and that is a necessary thing. I make a living! Good! But what about Born of Wonder, a project that takes up a lot of my time and that I make a little money doing (but as I’ve written recently, that’s not the point). Is it worth it?
When I find myself on an interview call during nap time discussing Les Miserables or Dorothy Day’s radical love of the poor or how to live out the liturgical year, the answers become clearer. This is good. My mind is buzzing, I’m changing things in my real, embodied life toward the better because of these conversations.
Sometimes my essay writing gets murkier. I’ve always been a ‘word processor.’ I have a hard time even knowing how I feel about something until I write it down. Writing allows me to feel things and articulate things I can’t always say out loud. But those words don’t always need an audience, as can be attested to by the piles of notebooks next to my bed.
And that audience bit can make things tricky. When I find myself compulsively logging onto Substack - did someone like that? Did someone comment? I get social media hangovers and want to become a hermit in the woods. I have that frantic compulsion in me and I need to keep it in check.
The notes I get that say this meant something to me - you made me think deeper about something - you cheered me up - I decided to start a garden - now that makes things worth it.
And it’s also why I’ve grown increasingly uninterested in those online conversations that get people defensive and angry and world-weary. It’s not a great ‘real world effect.’
But I’ll tell you the best thing.
It’s the sort of evening I had a week or so ago when a long-time Born of Wonder reader/listener chatted with me and my husband in our ‘book nook’ (new room we’ve made in the house and it’s my favorite place ever) discussing everything from house repairs to whether Bitcoin is real (I’m not convinced, Seth!) to the theology of the Eucharist.
Online life only makes sense when there’s a real world fruit.
And the best real world effect is this: community.
It’s clinking glasses, squeaking pews, fresh, open air, hands in the dirt, boots on the ground, cameras snapping, book flipping, laughter, shared life.
It has become increasingly clear, in my busy life of farm and children and work, that this online sphere is a vehicle, a tool, to an end, but not the end itself.
I can only credit divine inspiration (or insanity, a la C.S. Lewis logic) for the pilgrimage currently in the works. But the thought came to me quite purposefully, Why not Go?
I’ll tell you there were a lot of reasons not to - but my ever supportive and positive husband told me to go for it. And when
, Select International veteran and someone I’ve admired afar for years, signed on with me, it felt like something that could really happen.And it is happening! Our trip is about halfway full and I would love for you to consider joining us on this epic trip to the Emerald Isle. I’ve visited Ireland a number of times, including one time sans-smartphone and poorly planned (thank you kind Irish people for taking care of us!) and I’m telling you, the place is pure magic.
So far we have Catholics, non-Catholics, Orthodox, couples, and single people. Wherever you are coming from, you will fit in. Whether you’re there for the hiking or the holy sites or the drinks or the countryside or the music or the books - you will find something to relish in. And you won’t do it alone.
I have this vision of hiking up St. Patrick’s Holy Mountain and thinking… How did we get here? All because something online made something real happen. I keep plugging away on these keys because I think there are some real, good things that happen when people are in pursuit of goodness, truth, and beauty.
This is an epic trip that is going to be beautiful, inspiring, and most of all fun. In a world starved for time and meaning, this trip is a memory you will hold onto on those no-nap long-work days. It’s ten days, but in many ways it’s a thin place to hold inside you always, to visit and revisit when you need a reminder that this is all worth it.
And unlike any travel I’ve ever done, It is worry free. The expert local guides and pros at Select put together the ideal itinerary, reflecting both Christy and my desire for a full itinerary that still allows for exploration, relaxation, and hanging out at the pub. It’s an incredible value for a jam-packed once-in-a-lifetime type trip.
I truly hope this email, in the strange disembodied way it roams across a wifi signal to your inbox, results in something real and embodied. As you read these words through the harsh light of your phone or computer, think of the brighter light pouring through the clouds off the Irish cliffs, sea spray in the air, and a whole big beautiful world in front of you.
Think of that real light, that real place. Let’s leave this two dimensional glare.
Let’s go there!
I truly hope you can join us. Feel free to message me or Christy directly anytime with questions.
cheers and Slainte my friends,
Katie
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Some of the incredible highlights of the tour include -
The famous Kilbeggan Whisky Distillery
The Marian Shrine at Knock
Hiking to the top of Croagh Patrick, St. Patrick’s Holy Mountain where he fasted for 40 days and nights
A traditional sheep-herding demonstration with the Joyce Country Sheepdogs
Afternoon tea at Ashford Castle
Traditional live music in the heart of the countryside
The Rock of Cashel, the home of kings and queens for over 900 years
Holy Cross Abbey
The famously stunning monastery founded by St. Kevin at Glendalough
The Cliffs of Moher
Irish coffee making demonstration
St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity College to see the Book of Kells
A Literary Pub Tour through Dublin
The Guinness Factory
And Much More!
Time is a great storyteller.
— Irish Proverb
“I get social media hangovers and want to become a hermit in the woods. I have that frantic compulsion in me and I need to keep it in check”. 🙋🏻♀️ Saaaaaame… The battle, am I right? 🙃😊
Oh this is really lovely! It is the best part of the internet to meet the people we know online in real life.