My life revolves around Wi-Fi. I wish it weren’t so, but alas this is the sad truth. I like to think it is the curse of the modern writer. That I am a success story in the making. Anything other than a truth I cannot shake–I spend way too much time on my computer.

When I was staying back in Texas for the holidays, I stayed out in the country, in places where the wi-fi revolution had yet to reach. As a result, I have spent whole days wandering the malls and haunting coffee shops and libraries looking for signal. Anywhere I could find to write, I wrote. I have written in coffee shops, and bookstore cafes. But I have also sat in the lounge of a shopping mall food court bathroom, so that I could plug in my laptop and get Internet signal.  I have written whole articles in FedEx Kinkos and in Burger King. I have spent more than one workday in a McDonald’s because you could buy a drink for a dollar, and keep the refills coming. I have written in break rooms, diners, church nursing rooms, and once got kicked out of a coffee shop.

But in all of that, no truer have I felt this addiction, though, than recently when the Internet went down–indefinitely. It’s a long story, but basically the place where  I’m staying, they are overhauling their Internet system for an upgrade. This is wonderful. But, in the meantime, I have been essentially without Internet.

The first week, I ran out my entire phone data plan. The second week, I had a meltdown. A complete Internet withdrawal with tears, flying books, and even some sad poetry. Over what?! Over an airwave signal. I knew at the bottom of it, I should really get a grip. But I need Internet for everything.

It’s not that I am wasting time, Facebooking, Tweeting and the like. By all means no. The truth is, I work all the time. E-mails and Word files zoom in and out of my devices all day and night as assignments come, go, morph and change. I need phone numbers, client websites,  statistics, and somewhere in there…yes…blogging. My life is designed to work with Internet. I have to have a connection or I die.

This scares me. A lot. If the zombie apocalypse comes, I just might sell them my soul for Wi-Fi password.  I think I need help.