Call me what you will…nostalgic, sentimental or even foolhardy. But I love my un-smart, non-intelligent cell phone. She’s old, clunky and her keypad is worn in all the right places. I love that she fits in the palm of my hand and has helped me stay in touch with my friends and family over the years. And I am grateful to this aging piece of technology for helping me digitally capture countless precious moments over the years, including photographs of my children as they continue to grow like weeds in a blossoming garden.
To say that I missed the “smartphone” bandwagon is an understatement. Sure, I have gone to countless electronic show rooms and fiddled with the sleek designer phones that seemingly sparkle more so than a polished diamond glistening in the light. But I always put them back on their displays while keeping my trusty cell phone tucked away in my purse ready to fulfill a call, text or image. To me, even handling a smartphone feels like I am cheating on my cell phone. And to take the next step in abandoning such a worthy friend is almost unthinkable.
That was until my husband recently came home with a small little bag in his hand and plopped it right into my lap. Inside was a fancy schmancy pink hued smartphone that seemed to beckon for me before I even opened the box. It was cool, sleek and the touch screen was polished to a glossy shine. I turned it on and was hooked from the moment I saw the screen light up. Enchanted with my new “toy”, I spent the greater part of the evening exploring all the features. A swipe here and a swipe there…who has time to read the instructions?
What intrigued me most about this snazzy little gadget was my newfound ability to download applications or “apps”. The sheer magnitude of apps available for download is astonishing to say the least. And the speed at which I found myself downloading app after app was startling. I felt an immense sense of power overwhelm me as I downloaded apps to micromanage everything from healthy eating habits to choosing a new paint for my living room. My “app”etite raged on for days as I filled my glittering new phone with fun apps for the kids and myself.
As for my tried and true un-smart phone, I would love to be able to say that I tucked my smartphone back in its box in preparation for its hasty retreat back to the store. But who am I kidding? While I will forever love my clunky old cell phone, my smartphone is here to stay. Who knows? Maybe one day it will morph into a beloved dinosaur in the face of a newer and sleeker mobile phone. I only hope that by then I will be able to resist the temptation to upgrade. However, if the next generation of smartphones can perform menial tasks like vacuuming or folding the laundry, once again, I will be sold.
