Two Weeks without a cell phone

One year ago, I got a new cell phone. In all my years of owning a cell phone, I have only had 3. The first one would have lasted forever, but you know, they used to be so BIG, that I thought I should update to something a little less embarassing for my husband. So I got a small flip phone and had that phone for about five years. However, one day I took the kids to the pool and Jenna got out, took my coverup (that had my cell phone in the pocket) off the chair and then stood over it and dripped until she got to her towel. I tried to dry it out as much as I could. I took the battery out and let it dry thoroughly before using it. But I think the chlorine from the pool water got to the connecters and they corroded a little bit. So then my phone wouldn't hold a charge for very long. And then after a couple of months of that, I broke down and got a new phone. A cute little red phone.

However, that phone lasted all of a couple of months (you know, right when the three month warranty is up - I'm too cheap to buy the exteded warranty, afterall why would I need it, my other phones lasted a LONG time). It started out with a little crack on the hinge, that became a bigger crack. Then, the crack broke, and the right hinge broke, then the right side, that has the wires slipped out. After months of trying to open my phone so carefully, it finally snapped in half.

So, after two weeks of no phone because I never had any time to go get it switched, I am finally back to my old phone. I just plug it into the wall whenever I am not using it.

The crazy thing in all of this is I went two weeks, that's right TWO WEEKS! without a phone and I survived. There's been some talk lately of cell phone use in the schools. My opinion? Cell phone use in the schools needs to be cracked down on. Big time and why stop there, it needs to be cracked down on in church.

First of all school. Besides the obvious that kids are using phones to cheat. What about the bullying? Sending texts to each other that are downright degrading and mean. And noone is THAT important that they need to be reachable 24 hours a day. If there is an emergency parents know how to get ahold of their kids (as long as they are where they said they would be). My thought is, phones shouldn't be allowed during school hours, period. If a teacher sees a phone or the phone rings during class, it gets confiscated. Kids would learn quickly.

I will say that I really like having the phone for teens when it comes to them driving because you never know when they will need some roadside assistance or get in an accident. And it is nice for them to be able to call when they are ready for you to pick them up (if they can't drive). But other than that, they don't have to be used that much. They should not have them on and be texting of any sort during school.

And church? Come on! One of the YW leaders in our ward mentioned that one girl came in, sat down by an outlet, plugged her phone in the wall and started texting while class was starting. Have we no shame? And then there's the people that say, "I have my scriptures on my phone." Yeah, whatever, if I actually believed that you were only reading from the good book, I would give you a pass, but I have SEEN you playing games so don't give me that.

SO, in those two weeks of no phone I realized that it is no big deal to go without a phone for any period of time. Noone died, there was no emergency, people called and left messages at home, I didn't miss any grand event. Maybe cell phones aren't as much of a lifeline as we make them out to be, I'm just sayin'.