Pink of Perfection

I’ll be the first to admit that the May POP Project did not have the same easy-breezy appeal of April’s project. In fact, it seemed like such a challenge, some of us initially thought we wouldn’t even give it a try. But try we did, and I am so, so impressed:

EB of Spice Dish gave up her ipod for a week, meaning she had to actually hear the conversations her neighbors were having on public transportation — not always pleasant — and decided maybe life is better with a few media distractions.

Giving up magazines and other “brain trash,” Sara Rose found enough time on her hands to plant her garden, give herself a pedicure, make a proper dinner each night, catch up on her z’s, and converse with people about topics other than her usual magazine fodder.

Teacher Meets World used the media detox as a springboard to get back to her very impressive reading list. Tara watched a squirrel bury an acorn for 20 minutes; I like to think this is the direct result of the media detox. Kyle at Forever 22 vowed to only use one tab on his internet browser at a time — a tip I borrowed. Honest to Blog cut down on tv, only allowing herself to watch Gossip Girl, and was hoping to find herself with a “bajillion” hours on her hands. Gretch-a-Sketch hoped she and her homework could reacquaint themselves during the media detox.

Personally, my experience was most like Karen’s at faded willow: I loved the idea but struggled with the execution. Living in a small apartment with someone who had not chosen to give up media proved difficult; while I was trying to chop vegetables in a moment of zen, I would hear the latest presidential campaign gossip via the nightly news. My job, which is largely about blogs and current events, made the internet impossible to ignore, but I did employ the one-tab-only rule on my browser. Television was the area that I really managed to squash, though. I realized that I turn on the tv when I want to just do nothing. Instead of watching Rachael Ray make another 30-minute meal, I found myself doing nothing in ways that were more peaceful, and more satisfying, like staring out the window and watching the day go dark. That’s a habit I could definitely see myself hanging on to.

Thank you so much again to everyone who detoxed and wrote about it. This POP Project was no walk in the park, so I am really gratefully to everyone who participated and I hope you found it a worthy experiment.

And now for the June Pink of Perfection Project assignment: Somewhere in your life there is a teacher, a babysitter, a sibling, a parent, a friend, a role model, a mentor, a boss, or an aunt who deserves to be told of their charms, their gifts, and that they are an inspiration. Scrawl it on a college-ruled page or make a pilgrimage to a stationery shop, but thank them, flatter them, and be sincere. Write a fan letter telling them just how exquisite they are.

Here’s how to participate:

• E-mail me and say you’re on board (remember to include a link to your blog!): sarah@pinkofperfection.com
• Complete the project.
• Write about the project on your website or blog by June 30.
• Send me the link to your blog post via the comments or email.

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