Lately I’ve been feeling like a hamster on a little spinning wheel. Why? The Internet. The emails come without pause, like the tide. I answer one and three more pop up. As of four days ago I had almost 800 unanswered emails in my Inbox. And that doesn’t even count all of the others that I’ve squirreled away in other files, so I won’t see them constantly piling up. What began as a great way to stay connected has lately become nothing but a headache. A very big one. That’s right, I have an I-graine.

Recently, I took a deep breath and realized that there was no end in sight to this constant barrage of emails. I’m an author. The publishing industry communicates via email. It’s how I talk to my editor. It’s how I talk to my agent. It’s how teachers and librarians contact me to invite me to do school and Skype visits. It’s how I relate to other authors and find out about all the events that go on in my world – from writing conferences to book festivals. It’s all on the web.

And because it’s all there, I’ve found it’s where I spend the vast majority of my day. I turn it on as soon as I wake up, I check it before and after breakfast, during my daily tasks, before and after lunch, before and after dinner and often late into the night – not because I am addicted – but because if I do not constantly stem that tide of emails it becomes absolutely unmanageable. I receive over 100 a day. If I get behind, I never catch up. Thus, the 800 emails languishing in my Inbox.

Perhaps you can feel my pain: I am constantly running – mentally, emotionally and physically – to keep up with all these electronic tugs for my attention. I am constantly being called upon to respond, respond, respond. And I haven’t even mentioned the time and energy it takes to keep up with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, my blog and the many other writing sites that I frequent. It’s like I have a computer screen glued between my eyes. I swear I think it’s on the verge of becoming part of my anatomy.

Realizing all this last week, I began to despair. I longed for a break, but saw nothing remotely resembling one in my future. The treadmill just keeps on turning. So I have decided to jump off. Not forever. Just for a while. As part of my Lenten observance this year, starting tomorrow and going all the way until Easter – I am “fasting” from the Internet. Including email.

That’s right. I am unplugging completely. It has taken quite a bit of preparation. In the past four days I have scrambled to take care of all of those 800 emails. And I actually have done it. So beginning tomorrow and going all the way until April 4th, if you email me, you will be greeted with a polite note saying that your email will be deleted, destroyed, pounded into submission, made magically invisible and caused to disappear!

I will be free!

Oh, don’t feel so bad. It’s not that I don’t want to be in contact with you. I do want contact. Really! I just don’t want the contact to be electronic anymore. At least for a while. My intent is not to cut off communication with my friends, family and colleagues. Actually, I am hoping that this little experiment of mine will enhance my relationships in all those spheres. So along with my note saying that your email will be deleted, I’ll also be giving out my contact information so that anyone who wants to can reach me.

Honestly, I have no idea how this whole thing will go. Maybe I’ll lose book sales and get fewer school visits as a result. Maybe I’ll become a has-been, forgotten in the dusty recesses of cyber space. On the other hand, maybe I'm on my way to becoming a mystic, a prophet, or just a little more relaxed. In any case, it will be an adventure. And as I go along I’ll be journaling