A snippet from a recent Associated Press article we ran in The Press really caught my attention.

The article, by Leanne Italie, talked about high-tech predictions for 2014. It starts out:

"Forget the fear of missing out. In 2014, trend watcher J. Walter Thompson thinks JOMO - the joy of missing out - will take deeper root in the mainstream.

"Among the global advertising and marketing company's predictions for the new year is a march to 'mindful living,' with more consumers actively trying to shut out distractions and focus on the moment."

Well, what do you know - I've been "missing out" and didn't even realize it.

I guess it was inevitable, what with our fast-paced, hi-tech world allowing people access to a blitz of information at any given time. People are finding out that not knowing is almost as important as what you know, you know?

I do see the younger generation, that includes my 21-year-old daughter, finding (or discovering) new things to see and do that are not on a smartphone screen in the palm of their hand.

Yep, they're going fishing, hunting, tubing, skiing, biking, hiking and volunteering in an effort to find some balance to their digital lives.

Lately I find myself wondering what I would have been like if I was born 20-30 years later. Would I have had all those experiences I now cherish, or would they have been replaced in large part by video games, email, Web surfing and building cities and farms online?

I shudder to think I would have missed out on things like riding our horses on the farm, catching frogs down by the creek, cruising the main drag on Friday and Saturday nights.

Maybe I never would have gotten the chance to play in various bands, or moved to and lived in five states (so far), and maybe I would have never gotten the chance to write a weekly column.

Later in the article Italie mentioned "the rise of digital detox like Camp Grounded in Northern California." I talked about the camp, a way for those overwhelmed by technology to escape and get back to nature, in a recent column.

I really expect concepts like Camp Grounded to mushroom, what with such a huge demand for diversions from our Twitter/Facebook fanaticism.

So really, I can't relate to the JOMO. Because, you see, my joy has nothing to do with what I am missing.

No, my joy is remembering I didn't miss out.

Jerry Hitchcock, no slave to the digital world, might be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com.