Unplugged (It is all the Yeti's fault)

How long has it been since you looked at your phone? For me was about 8:00pm last night. Riley and I were laughing at pictures of a Yeti, when the Yeti got mad. He then jumped from Riley's hand and landed on the floor, cracking my iphone screen as payback for laughing at him. I have to be honest. I was upset. I was very upset. After cooling down, Linds and I sat down to watch a movie and something felt off. My hands felt strange. You see, in the evening after Riley goes to sleep, Linds is either on her phone or computer, and I am on my phone. We are talking, but in a general state of zoning. I am either playing a game, reading an article, or mindlessly checking e-mail, the weather, or scrolling through old pictures.


When did I become addicted to my phone? I got my first Cingular cell phone in 2002 just before Linds and I got married. At that time, I think we had 500 minutes shared between us, no texting, no data, no gps, apps, touch screen, or e-mail. It was a phone, plain and simple. For some reason, over time this has morphed into a devise that if we had to choose, we would rather forget our underwear than forget our phone.

A few years ago, we cut the cord with our house phone. This was a great thing as we never used it, and the only people who would call it were surveys and marketers. In doing so, we became even more reliant on our cell phones.

One reason that I have given for always having my phone is that it keeps me connected. But is that really true? When sitting and waiting, without fail, I reach for my phone. It is a security blanket. It allows me to look occupied. Wouldn't I be more connected if I looked to my left or right and engaged with the person beside me?

The second, very common reason for always having your phone is for emergencies. I think this term has gotten overused. We should really say I have my phone for convenience. There are very few things that qualify as a true emergency. Remembering to run by the grocery store, or letting someone know you are stuck in traffic are not emergencies. If I only used my phone for emergencies, I would not be able to tell you the last time it was used.

Since we do not have a house phone, I know that I cannot be without a phone indefinitely. However, I do think that a fasting period without my phone would be a great way to break the addiction.


So remember, the next time you encounter a Yeti, hold on tightly to your phone and never laugh! It can end badly if you laugh at the Yeti!