The joys of our cellphones. Email, web, voicemail, texting, IM'ing, Twittering... While most of us think this is a great way to "stay connected" I believe sometimes it actually does more to disconnect us.
How many times do you check email on your cell? I'm guilty of doing it incessantly. Lots of my friends and colleagues are obsessed with constant checking no matter whether they're at a ballgame, backyard BBQ, business meeting, golf course or driving down the highway at 70 m.p.h. OK, me too.
A few months ago I had a somewhat life altering experience. My Treo 650 had finally fritzed out for the last time. What I really wanted was the iPhone 3G but it was still just a rumor. So what to do? Well, I bought a crappy $15 (after rebates and incentives) phone to tide me over. It did nothing but answer and dial calls. Even storing phone numbers was a pain so cross that off the list. If you want to dial a call you better remember it or read the number off a scrap of paper. Answering calls was always exciting because it didn't announce who the call was from...surprise!
It took a few days of de-tox to get used to this new experience. Yes, racing down the freeway with an hour to kill and no phone numbers at hand to call to pass the time was tough. Finding myself waiting at lights or standing in lines or having the immense pain of having seconds or even...gasp...minutes to pass with nothing going on yet having no phone to check were sheer torture. Wondering what magical email was waiting in my inbox to fulfill my life when I saw it was like poking needles in my eyes.
Then something weird happened. I started connecting to other things. I noticed what was around me when I drove. The hills and horses and beauty of highway 280. People around me suddenly caught my attention. Hmm, interesting person, wonder what their story is. Thoughts from the day...from my family...from work...from whatever had a little more time in the brain to be noodled on. I know this is what happens when people lose their sight or their hearing, other senses pick up. Well, my 6th sense - cell - was dulled and my other senses sharpened.
So maybe, just for a few hours, go retro with your life. Put your cellphone away. Notice what's around you. Experience the people you see. Connect with the rest of the world.
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