Backtracking

I used to want a smart phone. I used to desire the upgrade in technology that placed me on somewhat of the same plane as the rest of the world. However, on January 1, my son threw my smart phone in the toilet. Yup, it died. I was frustrated. Joseph got my old phone up and running (the phone with the broken glass) and I was ready to receive phone calls at any time of day. Joseph has tried to find ways for me to get a smart phone again but I find myself resisting. In fact, I do not even want to have a smart phone of any kind, including the one with the broken screen. I have found myself desiring to own a phone that plugs into the wall and has a cord attached to it. I desire to not have a cell phone.
What not having a cell phone, especially a smart phone would mean:
     1. I would not be able to 'multi-task' while on the phone-unless it was hooked up near the sink and I could do dishes.  I could actually enjoy the conversations I have with people or pay attention to what they are saying. Wanna know how I got my Discover credit card? I wasn't paying attention to what was being said. By the time I hung up the phone I has a sinking feeling that I had agreed to accept their offer. Not too many days later I received my card in the mail. Whoops.
     2. I would not be tempted to use the phone while driving. The corded phone only stretches so far and since it is attached to the wall I would have to  make a choice: the phone call or the car drive.
      3. Addictive games would not be on my schedule anymore. I grew up when Nintendo first made its appearance, and I saved, with my brothers, enough money to purchase one. It was fun, but it also started something in my life. The ability to sit and waste several hours playing games while ignoring everything else going on around me. When I got my first smart phone I tried for a month or so to not download an game. My husband played, so I decided to give it try. Oh, the shame, and the many hours of play that followed. Instead of reading a book while breastfeeding the baby, I played Candy Crush. I loved the game, or rather the puzzles and the challenge. I reached into the 400 and something levels and then my phone took a swim. I haven't touched the game since...and it is not going to be put on my 'old' phone. Without smart phones I would not be attracted to those games on the phone that is constantly attached to my body.
    4. Speaking of constantly attached: by not having a smart phone and going back to a corded phone, I would not have the phone on me All. Of. The. Time. That would mean I could leave my house and not worry about the phone calls I am missing because I forgot my phone. I would not fret about missing phone calls because voice-mail would be available and I could listen to messages when I got home.
    5. My family time would be better. We would not be sitting in the living room with our eyes glued to our individual phones. We would hopefully engage in more conversations as we are disconnected from the distractions that smart phones seem to provide.
    6. With a corded phone I would get more exercise. Since I would not have my phone on me all of the time I would have to run to the phone to answer it before the person on the other line would hang-up. I miss the days of yelling, "I got it!" I miss the days of running to the phone, answering it, and having to give it to someone else because it wasn't for me. Why did everything have to become so individualized? What happened to one phone number? My family has two phone numbers.
    7, My phone number just might stay. Sure, I can keep my phone number from state to state (I am currently still using my MD phone number and I am living in the west now), but it gets confusing to many people. At some point it will stay. I just want to the feeling of having a number that feels more permanent verses one that will change when I decided to change service providers because they offer a better or cheaper plan.
    8. With a corded phone I would not have to worry about all those extra fees and costs associated with data plans, text messages, and minutes. I would not have to worry about who calls me at what time of day or pay extra to not worry about minutes.  I would not have to worry that I may have accidentally gone over my data limit and therefore have an large sum added to my normally expensive monthly bill.
   9. A corded phone would save me quite a bit of money. Phones are not made to be dropped (with the exception of a few bulky few ones still out there). They are made to be thin and sleek. Many are slippery and it is easier for them to fall on the ground. What happens when they fall? They break. When they break they have to be replaced. Don't want your phone to break? You have to fork over a wallet full of money to buy something that makes your phone big and bulky. Don't want to make your thin phone big and bulky? Pay for the insurance. Oh yeah, that costs money too. That pricey phone gets pricier all of the time. If a person wants to not pay as much money for their phone they can wait for their plans upgrade, but the price comes with another two-year contract. Sure, there are places that are getting rid of those contracts, but there is probably something else to increase the costs--like making you pay full price for the phone. A smart phone, and many other cell phones, are susceptible to moisture, and not just toilet water. I was recently informed, when one of my smart phone stopped working, that it would not be covered under warranty because of damage caused by moisture. I was told that every day condensation can build up and cause erosion. Why did they not include a kit with my phone that would draw out the  moisture on an every day basis? So, just carrying the phone around with me on an every day basis puts my phone at risk. To replace it: too much money.
    10. I save on electricity with a corded phone. The corded phone plugs into the phone jack (is there even one in my house?) and not the outlet. I do not have to plug it in at the end of the day or even during the day because I cannot figure out what is killing my battery. That would mean money in the bank.
     11.  A corded phone would be better for my eyes. The brightness on some phones is just bad for the eyes. I turn my phone's brightness to as low as it can go. Any brighter and I feel like someone is shining a flash light into my eyes. Why in the world would I need my phone light to be that bright?

All in all, a corded phone would be much better for me.  It would save me money and it would free me from the constant invisible cord that attaches the cell phone to my body. The stress that I go through to make sure my phone doesn't break, and it still does, along with the stress of the bill, is not what I want in my daily life.

The only problem I have (which will be remedied as quickly as possible--when finances afford) is that I do need a cell phone. The cell phone is there for me for the important calls, such as when my son's school calls me to inform me that something has gone wrong and I need to come and get him or when I received a call from a doctor's office that I have been waiting quite a long time for. It is helpful when my daughter calls because she feels sick and needs me to pick her up from school and I am not home. It comes in handy when I am trying to pick someone up and we need to find each other or when someone finds they are in a situation that they either need emergency services. I enjoy it when I go on a date with my husband and the babysitter is able to reach me if something happens (this is important with a child that has medical needs).  I also want my daughter to be able to carry one with her at certain times in her teenage life (some years to go yet, but coming up fast) so that she has a way to call home. I remember the day I called my dad to come and pick me up when I was in high school. I was with friends who were doing things I did not want to be a part of. I want to offer my daughter that same thing and the ability to know she can call for my help and get out of any situation she does not want to be in. No, cell phone are not bad, they are useful, but they also get in the way. So, maybe before the end of the year I will have my corded phone and read a few extra books or have a few more conversations with family than I did last year, and by all means I will do what I can to at least get rid of the smart phone.