Have you ever gone without having a cell phone (we all did before they were invented) and for how long?
Question 2
How did it make you feel?
My life has been a kinda awful adventure for the past few years. There have been lots of highs and lows, and a few sprinklings of relative peace. One of the coping mechanisms I used when times were really stressful was turning my cell phone off. Now the interesting thing of doing this, is that I barely had anyone calling me to begin with, especially when things were at their worse...
But, turning it off made me feel better.
That's why I would like to nominate myself as one of the very few adults living on the East Coast without a cell phone....by choice!
Here is what not having a cell phone is like:
- I do not have to pay 40 dollars a month for service (yes your bill can be that low with boost mobile)
- My day experiences less interruption with calls, especially when I go outside and I am nowhere near a phone.
- Every time I go out either two things happen...
- Either I pre-plan my exact route (because I can't call anyone when I am lost)
- I just wing it (I meet lots of helpful people when I get lost)
- I don't worry about collecting a bunch of numbers and losing them (because I don't have a cell phone to input them into) and I just hope for the best of running into them or....
- Only serious people who are interested actually follow through with trying to get in touch with me via my house phone or email.
- Not having a cellphone has boosted my production! Very rarely is my day slowed from not having it because I can't get in touch with someone. Actually, not having a phone means I get to choose when I want spend time making phone calls. Usually, I will work my tail off and call when I am relaxing, or I call those special people during the best times of the day to talk (during the early morning or late evening) when I am near my house phone.
- I do have a 2 year old daughter, so I understand the arguments regarding safety but I still do find them to be false dependencies in my case. I know if sou sou is with me I would be the best protection if anything happens to us. I know that if something happens, her nanny can either call the house phone or my sis (who actually does have a cell) to get in touch.
- Sometimes I sit around and notice every other living person is buried in a tiny screen and it puts things in perspective. Cell phones can be distracting, even rude. Why is a ringing phone from any person create an automatic reason to distract you from what you are doing? It is a beautiful feeling being fully present and seeing the world around you.
Also, I have been meeting so many beautiful people lately..and without even planning to, I got to see them again! This world is much smaller than you think and you would be surprised that you could meet someone in one of the most populated places in the world and say "see you later"....and you do!
So have you ever gone without the cell? Did it feel good or stress you out? Would you try ditching it temporarily to experiment or would you even consider ditching it permanently? Am I just plain crazy?
I love this post! How interesting. We all think we'd be lost without them but it might be cool and an experience!
ReplyDeletePeace be upon you
ReplyDeleteNo you are not crazy...i have gone with out a cellphone
for about two to 3 weeks and it wasnt a big deal. If people
wanted to contact me email was perfectly fine.
People are consumed with cellphones, texting, chatting, etc
there are way more important things in this life.
I abandoned cell phones a few years back, but recently bought one for emergencies-only purposes after the last pay phones in town were removed. I keep my phone turned off, as they're a constant distraction otherwise. Those who need to get in contact with me always know where to find on, at work in the library. There is a saying I like: invention is the mother of necessity. No sooner do we invent a thing do we become dependent on it. That's how it is with cell phones, I think, and I do my utmost to avoid gadget-dependence in general.
ReplyDeleteI have been living without a cell phone for the last 13 years and totally enjoy the freedom that comes with that. The incessant interuptions to my day that I can do without. I love it. If someone is really interested in contacting me, they have my house phone number or my email. And smellincoffee is absolutely right. People today are too gadget- dependant. You see them every where you go, they are hardly aware of their surroundings, all their attention concentrated on that small screen. It's awful. Now if I could convince my hubby to go without his cell, it would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteSalaam,i definitely agree,i have a phone but took off the social app and now it feels much better and I have no excuse not to do work!happy for you sis^_^
ReplyDelete