Four Weeks Without a Cell Phone

In this age of technology and instant gratification I went four weeks without a cell phone.  On purpose.  From 3 July 2015 to 31 July 2015 I turned off my phone and turned on a new experience.  It was an experience that took me briefly back to a time when we didn't have the world in the palm of our hands.  It was an experience that delighted me, challenged me, educated me, humbled me, and fueled my longing for simpler times.


The Pros:

• I had to use my imagination when I was bored.  
• I learned how spoiled I'd become and how accustomed I was to instant gratification.  That's not a trait I desire for myself and it was humbling to acknowledge that I needed to make some changes.
• I didn't feel as "busy".  I was just as busy but it was better.
• My neck didn't hurt from being oddly bent over a device.  It brought new definition to the phrase, "keep your chin up".
• I had to depend on the willingness of others to share their phone with me when I needed to make a phone call or send a quick text. Thankfully I am surrounded by kind people and they made the humility of asking for help an easy task.
• People were still able to get in touch with me if needed.  It was eye-opening to discover that most things could wait until people saw me in person.
• I completed more projects and tasks because I wasn't constantly distracted by notifications on my phone.
• I didn't feel the stress of replying to countless texts and messages all day, every day, and yet I still knew what was going on in the world and in the lives of my nearest and dearest.
• I didn't miss the apps that took up so much of my time before (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc) and actually began to schedule breaks for myself to check my email and Facebook from my laptop.
• Seeing people's faces lit up with "gadget glow" confirmed to me that we do not spend enough time having face-to-face conversations with the folks in our circles of life.

The Cons:

• I had to use my imagination when I was bored.
• People assumed I was ignoring them or that we were having financial problems.
• I didn't like driving without a cell phone just in case of an emergency.  I didn't encounter any emergencies but I felt somewhat helpless without the ability to call for help from anywhere.
• I had to depend on the willingness of others to share their phone with me when I needed to make a phone call or send a quick text.  Learning humility is a good thing but it's not always a fun thing.
• I missed my music and being able to put my headphones in whenever I wanted to escape the constant chaos that comes with raising a busy family.
• I missed texting my best friends.  As a stay-at-home Mom most of my conversations are with people under the age of 17 and I missed being able to chat with my friends whenever I wanted.
• I love to take pictures and my cell phone has a great camera.  I missed taking pictures and sharing those moments with our close-knit family.
• I missed playing Words With Friends because I play with several family members and enjoy the competition with them.

I'm considering making it a habit to turn off my cell phone during the summertime.  My longing for simplicity presents a challenge in this day and age but it seems to be more about a challenge for convenience than necessity.  Surely there is a balance to be reached, even if I'm the only one willing to turn off my cell phone.