That fateful day, I had to turn off my phone. I waited until the absolute last moment when I was seconds away from a face to face encounter with the air marshal that was surely on board our plane. Ever since meeting a real live air marshal this summer who told me he could kill a guy with his thumbs, I've been fascinated with the challenge of identifying the thumb killing protector of the airplane on each flight we've taken.
I digress.......the turning off of my phone and putting it away until the time came in Singapore when I would have permission to turn it on again without paying $274.53 a second, was traumatic for me.
I am a cell phone addict.
It's easy to say that now because I went through all the hard stuff weeks ago. Detoxing from a lack of access to text, email, Facebook, and talking to friends was UGLY! I had the shakes, nervous twitching, hallucinations, and cell phone envy in those first few days. I would hyperventilate over the thought of having no available contact with others and just narrowly avoided adopting habits such as smoking or picking my cuticles in an effort to occupy my now empty hands.
Flash forward SIX weeks. Yes, that would be 42 days or 1008 hours later and my phone works once again. It is a bittersweet moment for me. I had gotten used to not having a phone and so I was forced to actually look out the window during bus rides or actually have a conversation with my kids during subway trips. I wasn't consumed with who had a bad hair day or was going to the grocery store per Facebook posts and the only chatting I was doing was with the real live people that were actually sitting in front of me. I wasn't distracted during conversations by a ring notifying me of a new email. I walked empty handed to places looking up and around the entire time instead of at my phone as a way of avoiding eye contact with others. I had phone numbers of new friends written on scraps of paper that littered the inside of my purse. I was much more present.
I think that having a handphone (as they are referred to here) makes this move feel more permanent. I have a Singapore phone number now which is an 8 digit number written as 1234 5678 and we almost have a new local bank account to pay for said cell phone number. I have written and received a couple of texts from local friends and even walked down the rode today reading a new email. I am sad to say that I will probably shush a child or half hear what he's saying while engrossed in my phone and will join all the others in sitting at a table to eat, plopping my phone next to my salad fork before my napkin even goes into my lap.
I hope that I will take my forced time off to develop better handphone habits. I honestly think a person without a cell phone is more pleasant that being with one that is addicted. I much prefer being pleasant. I think I'll start to use my time more wisely.......like exploring all the possibilities having killer thumbs could afford me!!
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Ouch! Did ya really have to hit SO close to home right off the bat?! Happy Monday to you, too! Geez! LOL;-)
ReplyDeleteI can tease because I am right there with ya! My hubby remarks all the time on how my phone and I are joined at the hip, of course he appreciates this when he needs to get ahold of me, but not so much when we are at the dinner table and my phone gives me my little "ding, ding" to indicate a new incoming message. No I don't have it at the table most times, but I admit that if he weren't there it probably WOULD be! I try to justify my need to check "things" as "what if it's an emergency and fill-in-the-blank can't get ahold of me!" or "what if fill-in-the-blank thinks I'm ignoring her on purpose and being rude??" Rediculous, I know, because most of the time that "emergency" involes checking facebook and finding out what my sister's having for dinner! Classic. But in truth, I need the same time out... I'm afraid to ask God, though, because I'm afraid my phone might burst into flames;-) Woah, that's probably a good sign RIGHT THERE!
I have forgotten my phone once or twice and after the initial shock has waned (and the twitching has stopped), I find myself more relaxed, more present. I have entertained the idea of deactivating my facebook, but I really do find it so valuable in connecting with my friends and family. I love to be able to share prayer requests with others and receive them as well, to check on our church's fb wall to see upcoming stuff and look at pics that have been taken, and MOST IMPORTANTLY.......--->
TO KEEP UP WITH FRIENDS WHO HAVE MOVED ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE WORLD, WHO EVEN THOUGH WE HAVEN'T MET IN PERSON, HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART <3
I love the internet, but so far I've avoided getting attached to my phone. Gabe keeps asking me when I want to upgrade from a Motorola Razr (w/no internet and way-too-cumbersome texting) to an iPhone (or whatever), but I keep putting it off, because for now (I could change my mind tomorrow), when I'm away from my computer, I'm away from my computer. And I think that's a good thing for me.
ReplyDeleteDid you catch all that??