Or Else Its User is Dumb
I missed two zoom meetings recently, and didn’t notice I hadn’t received my normal 2 p.m. phone call from a son until about 6 p.m. – which had him calling my granddaughter to make sure I was OK. And this is not the first occasion that I’ve let time run away from me.
My phone, which I also use as an alarm clock to remind me of things like zoom meetings, and when to take my clothes out of the washer and put them into the dryer, and for timing my writing, was out of order. But I didn’t discover that until I tried to call my son. Instead of ringing through, a message came up saying the device had no Sim card, and then said I should update the phone and reboot it. I did, and I, miraculously, had phone service again.
This is the second time in a month it’s done this to me. Did I mention that I actually hate smart phones. They’re not so smart, or else they have a dummy for a user. I’ll let you decide which.
I used a simple flip phone almost forever. I even went back to one when I retired from the traveling life. My son had bought me a smart phone when I was traveling because he wanted to know where I was at all times. I’m blessed that he loves me, but when you spend most of your life coming and going as one pleases, being tracked takes some getting used to. It also irks me that my children suddenly think I’m old and can’t take care of myself.
Meanwhile, what everyone else is doing on their phones today, I continue to do on my computer. The screen is larger and easier on old eyes, and I know how to use it, something I can never get the hang of with smart phones.
My children jumped at getting cell phones when they first came out, even when they were as large as breadboxes. I didn’t get my first cell phone until my work finally demanded it, and paid for it.
Maybe I that’s why I kind of think of cell phones like a kind of ball and chain. I didn’t always want to be found.
I don’t carry one in my pocket when I walk my dog, which my son says I should do. And I often forget to take it with me when I run errands. I’m trying to change that because I realized that if my car broke down, I haven’t memorized any phone numbers but my own — because they’re all stored in the $#&*@ smart phone.
Pat Bean is a retired award-winning journalist who lives in Tucson with her canine companion, Scamp. She is a wondering-wanderer, avid reader, enthusiastic birder, Lonely Planet Community Pathfinder, Story Circle Network board member, author of Travels with Maggie available on Amazon (Free on Kindle Unlimited), and is always searching for life’s silver lining.
Pat Bean's blog 
Your post gave me a big smile; add me to your club! I disconnected from phones 20 years ago – and though my phone-using friends often express their ‘If You Had a PHONE’ disgust, I remain glad to be phone free – and pre-arrange meetings and events via email — even though most want that instant gratification.
When I did have a phone, there were many times I would be painting or very deep in concentration – and the phone would ring, ‘Hello?’ and someone would ask, ‘What are you doing?’ With a watercolor wash drying infront of my eyes, one hand on the phone, one with the brush I would reply, ‘Painting….’
“Oh!’ they might say, and then chatter for another ten, fifteen, twenty minutes…’
But for me it’s a dilemma, to be grateful there are people who care for me… and maybe they are more high strung and get nervous if I don’t send a smoke signal once a day… but I would rather be ‘out there’ living life – and then catching up when I had quality time to devote to each one via email – or an in-person visit.
Modern technology is amazing – and even though I miss going to a library for research, it’s certainly nice to tap in a word and get a zillion results… but with modern technology, we trade wholesome interactions for instant gratification.
Now if we can get WordPress to return Classic without having to sneak through back doors to find it!
My son is always having to rejig my smart phone when some function isn’t working properly. Really I like it best for taking photos!
I agree with you about the smart phone. I find it another chore to have to check and much prefer a landline phone. Other functions of this smart phone, I do not use and much prefer the computer as you do. Thank you for today’s blog. I enjoy your entries.
Since I only recently got a smart phone, I am still in the learning phase. While I am learning how to answer a darn phone call, my daughter is trying to teach me how to use it to download playlists from Spotify so I can use the blue tooth connection in my car to listen to music. I don’t know, I have a case load of discs and a disc player in my car. Seems good enough for me.
What I prefer in a smart phone over one of the previous ones is the camera function. I would not want to miss that any more as I (nearly) always have the phone with me and it’s so eay to take pictures with it.
Have a great weekend,
Pit
I think we all struggle with phones, and the struggle is real! I’m forever forgetting meetings, but I really can’t blame my phone for that . . . I believe I’m just suppressing my obligations these days!