I feel my life is too digital. I need to “let go of the bits.” I have become a bit of a compulsive collector when it comes to music files, images, software, news bits and so on. What I concentrate-on varies from time to time, but I can’t seem to stop dowloading. I have amassed gigabytes of files. Every CD I’ve owned has been ripped and tagged and now sits on a set of massive Firewire hard drives. The plastic bodies and shells of my once proud music collection sit gathering dust on racks, while my ever-growing, pulsating digital collection becomes absurdly large. I’ve slowly been selling them off online, but the next step is to box them up for storage or to donate somewhere, because they take up too much room in my apartment. Most of my personal artwork and photographs also are now in digital form. Much of my life has shifted from the analog to the digital. I even dilligently post listings of the books I’m reading, the music I’m listening to, the films I’ve seen, the activities I’ve done, the links I’ve explored — all as a way to expand my digital identity.

But in times like these, it all falls flat; leaves me feeling empty. Rather than merge together, all these things seem to divide me; I feel unfocused and split. I read an article recently that discussed what can happen when a family member dies. Often the files on their computer (pictures, documents, emails) are forgotten or deleted. So much of our lives has been amassing in these digital spaces. So much of our analog side is being supplemented or supplanted by the digital side. Before I disappear completely (an exageration, i know), I want to return to solid ground. I want to revive my life. I want to reopen the door for the varied spirits of life to revitalize me. I want to Be (more) Analog.