My phone died for a night- and I was FINE.
Usually, my phone dying involves a freak out of some sort, but this time I just let it be. Honestly, usually, when I'm out I feel almost like I'm going through withdrawal without my phone. Omg, I wish I could Snapchat that, omg let me send a picture of that to my friend, omg let me keep a snap streak alive, OMG, should I buy a charger or just wait to charge at home??
But this night, I was out with my cousins was with Sam and Bob, the only people I needed to be in contact with. I knew my address, knew where we were, Sam and Bob had a phone for Uber- I felt my mom when she’s with us and says she doesn’t need her phone because she only carries it with her if we call.
It felt a little weird at first not having my phone, but after a few hours, it felt freeing. Like "you know what? That’s actually fine, I don’t need to be in contact with anyone right now, it can wait. What do I want my phone for anyways right now? To Snapchat and add to my story to show I’m out at a bar having fun?
If I don’t people won’t know I’m out and have friends and having a good time!!" But then it’s like ‘wait, I don’t care though' it’s just nice to be here having fun in this moment, and it’s not any better by showing off I’m here. Yes I like taking pictures and videos to capture memories, but we need to be cognizant of WHY we are documenting things- to remember them for ourselves or to show off to others
Later, once I had my phone again and I was seeing all the random notifications I was getting- especially these Wall Street Journal notifications I had set up from the news app, I realized- we are just constantly looking for the next thing. We are constantly looking for empty entertainment on our phones.
That being said, I love Snapchat/ Insta/ etc and it’s a nice way to communicate and keep up with friends but we go well beyond that and use it excessively - let me check Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, the news app, mail, LinkedIn, anything! Anything that will tell me something and give me a notification!!
I think it leads to how we want everything FAST, no patience. It feels like everything it should be at our fingertips and happen NOW. I didn't even realize this until I realized how this feeling was similar to how impatient I was to find a job, it influences the way we live without us even realizing it.
It feels like a breath of fresh air to just be in the moment. It reminds me of being in nature, having no worries. It feels like I'm at the Flagstaff Lookout back in Boulder, Colorado -away from it all, just surrounded by the serenity of nature. And that says something.
