Thursday, 7 May 2015

A Rant about Mobile Phones


I am probably the last person in Canada without a cell phone. I’ve never wanted one. I just don’t see the appeal of having a buzzing, expensive gadget to babysit 24-7, and I really don’t want to be that accessible. People have asked me: “What if your kids have an emergency and they can’t reach you?” To which I reply: “I work two hours from home. If it’s that dire an emergency, what good am I to them from this far away? They can get to the hospital and I’ll catch up with them when I get there.”

People ask if I find it limiting, being “out of touch,” but I find it just the opposite—it’s freeing. When a phone rings on the bus or in the middle of a church meeting, I don’t have to dive for it in a panic; I know it isn’t mine. When phone companies compete for my business, I don’t have to worry about researching and choosing the right plan, or downloading Apps, or learning new technology. I don’t spend hours hunched over my frantically-moving thumbs. I’m not tempted to check for text messages while driving or to rudely answer calls during conversations with live-and-present people. I not only save money by not having a phone, I save time. And I can relax and be in the moment, whatever is happening, without feeling I have to step back and snap a photo of it.

Am I missing out on anything? Maybe. Is it anything I care about or can’t do without? Nope. Having fewer worries and expenses? Priceless.

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