I thought it would be a piece of cake to go a day without my cell phone but I really missed it. On July 2 our family gathered at our daughter’s camper and spent the day on the lake. I had my phone along on the pontoon but when we came in I put it in a safe place in the camper while we ate and chatted.
Later, on our way home, I realized that I didn’t have my phone. I had left it in that safe place. Since I would be returning to the camp ground the next day, I decided to leave it and go for one day without my phone. The funny thing is, my daughter saw the phone and texted me to see if I wanted to meet her to get it. She realized her mistake when the phone rang next to her.
That evening as we sat around chatting about the day I kept wanting to reach for my phone and look at the pictures I had taken. I wanted to share a few on facebook but didn’t have my phone.
In the morning, while drinking coffee, there are a couple games I like to play on my phone so I missed it. Then when I felt the urge to use the bathroom, I realized I would not have my trusty companion to play on while I sat there.
We all got ready for the festivities in Hancock and my grandkids looked so cute. Once again I looked for my phone to take a picture but it wasn’t there. Instead I had to have my daughter-in-law take some and send them to me from her phone. A little later my sisters started texting me and fortunately they included my husband so I could inform them that I did not have my phone but I was getting their messages.
By the end of the parade and when it came time to drive my granddaughter back up to the camper, I realized that a day without my phone was difficult. I had to rethink many of the things I was used to doing with it and let people know in other ways that I did not have it.
I can see now why parents who want to find a way to punish their teenagers, will threaten to take away their phone. It would be an awful punishment. You feel so disconnected and out of touch with people. The threat would make me think twice about being disobedient.
I am sure that for a while now I will always be checking to make sure I have my phone when I leave a place. Maybe I need to get some of those ‘idiot straps’ like you put on mittens, to make sure I keep it attached. It is a weird feeling to be phoneless even for just 24 hours.
