Call Me, Maybe

I was just a kid the first time I saw a cell phone. My dad got one of those Zack Morris brick phones and my sister and I got such a kick out of it. When we would go out with my dad, we would look for reasons to be able to call our mom or a friend just so we could use the phone. I don't know how he did it, but my dad was able to stick that brick phone in his back pocket and walk around like a boss. It was so cool. 

By the time I got my first cell phone, I was way behind my peers. When I graduated college in 2005, I was one of two seniors who did not have a cell phone. I begged my parents to let me get a phone. I can still see my dad's face as he would give me a half smile and tell me that I could have a phone whenever I wanted . . . as long as I paid for the phone myself. Well, you know what? I did. My first little Motorola flip phone was fabulous and I was proud to write the first check for my phone bill. I soon graduated to another flip phone, but this one was pink! I always felt so cool, pulling my little cell phone out my purse and texting my BF or my BFFs.

Then the day came when I put my childish ways behind me and became a grown up cell phone user. The day I got my Smartphone. Troy and I did a ton of research to try and decide which phone to get. First we had to figure out which team we wanted to be on: Team Apple or Team Android. This was a toughie and seemingly very controversial depending on who we talked to. The iPhones were so cool and trendy, but we decided that we weren't really Apple people. We have personal frustrations with the one button. So, we set our eyes on the new Droid Bionic that much to our frustration, kept pushing pack the release date. Finally, it was available in Verizon stores. Troy was super sneaky about getting one too. He took my flip phone (my last one was purple) out of my purse in the morning. I didn't even realize it until I got to work and worried about where it was. (I never lose things.) I came home and told him I couldn't find my phone and that was when he presented me with my brand new, Droid Bionic. The sky opened up and the angels sang and played their harps as he handed the new technology to me.

I couldn't believe all the things I could do with my Droid Bionic. The whole world was at my fingertips. There would be so many times when I would think about something while I was out and think about how I wanted to remember to look that up when I got home - and then I realized I could look it up any time I wanted!! I always had a GPS with me. (Which is good because I am directionally challenged.) I could Google to my heart's content. (Who doesn't love to learn?!) I could be instantly notified when someone would Facebook me. (Thanks for 'liking' my status!!) I remember thinking that I have the most advanced phone, of course it was only a matter of time before my phone became obsolete in it's technology, but for a very short amount of time, my phone was the king.

Fast forward two years to today. I still have that Droid Bionic but she has aged and isn't as wry as she used to be. The old girl gets tired and freezes mid-thought. Sometimes she has a hard time remembering how to write out and send text messages. There are many times during the week when she just gives up and shuts down. Poor girl. Unfortunately, I my first thought at her many malfunctions is not that she has been faithful these past two years; rather I wonder if it will damage my walls if I throw her across the room. I get so frustrated that I can't .... wait for it .... search the world wide web, text or Facebook. (GASP!) Whatever did the pioneers do?! (Hashtag, First world problems; yep I just wrote out the word 'hashtag.') Last night the old girl freaked on me again and so I decided to take a break from her.

Like most people today, I may have become too dependent on technology. I am after all, writing a blog on a laptop, I'm not chiseling all this out of stone, but I do like to take the occasional break from technology. After watching Live with Kelly and Michael in the morning (I just love them!), the TV stays off until the evening. When my phone chimes to tell me that I have a message, I am probably one of the few people that doesn't freak out and rush to see what's going on. (I think this sometimes drives Troy crazy because then curiosity takes over and he needs to see what my phone wants me to know.) While it is unreasonable to say that we should remove all technology, maybe my old Droid is teaching me a valuable lesson, chill it out. So, I will head to the old girl's advice....until I upgrade, then all bets are off.