Friday, June 17, 2011

Hello, my name is Angela and I’m a phonaholic

“You’re such a junkie,” my granddaughter told me.

She had just offered me my BlackBerry and asked if I needed a fix. She had it because her simpler phone had died, and I’d loaned her mine because she was on her way to Dallas, where she needed to be able to contact friends for pick-up at the airport. I guess I looked too eager as I snatched it from her hands.

My co-workers used to tease me because they said I had organizers for my organizers. They were kind of right, because I had a detailed work organizer, a detailed home organizer, and a purse organizer to combine high points of the two so I wouldn’t accidentally overlap. It was the best way I knew to CONTROL the coordination of a 10- to 12-hour-a-day job (sometimes six days a week), my husband’s conflicting work schedule, and our kids’ and grandkids’ activities.

Then my employer gave me my first cell phone with a calendar. I was in heaven. Here, in an easy-to-carry package, not only could I keep track of my meetings and appointments, but I could set an alarm to remind me to go. (Then, as now, I tended to get caught up in my writing and forget to eat lunch, attend meetings, etc.)

When I retired, I got a BlackBerry. Now I have a calendar with an alarm, a separate wake-up alarm, and I can check both my email accounts, facebook  and twitter anywhere I have phone service. (When the publisher who has had my novel for five months sends me that acceptance letter, I want to KNOW, baby!) I can carry my to-do lists in my pocket and jot down micropoetry on my note pad. With my phone and my Mac, I have conferred with clients and written and delivered articles while 1,000 miles away from my home office. In Scotland without internet, I was able to post on facebook and twitter and keep track of all my friends, actual and virtual. I am not a cell phone junkie; I am merely in CONTROL.

But for the last week, I have been without my full QWERTY keyboard. I almost missed my hair appointment because it was on my BlackBerry in Dallas. (Thank heavens I had written my doctor’s appointment on my day planner.) I’m behind with facebook and twitter because I can’t check them while I’m waiting to see my optometrist, and I can’t check the weather forecast for next week to plan my wardrobe. My life is out of CONTROL.

I am so looking forward to seeing my granddaughter on Sunday. She’s a delightful, lovely, intelligent and talented young woman—and she has my BlackBerry.

copyright Angela Parson Myers 2011

11 comments:

  1. I'm a phone junkie too. Everything that keeps me connected and in somewhat of an order is on my phone. I'm even turning into one of those people that needs the new one everytime an iphone comes out. I mean really. Video, camera, ipod, organizer, apps for everything,email,facebook,twitter PLUS you can call people??? Yeah, sign me up.

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  2. Oh Angela... I reckon we couldn't be more opposite! I don't possess a mobile, rarely know what day of the week it is and only remember dates if I write them down in block capitals in about twenty different places, on the off chance I might look at a bit of paper without simply screwing it up and throwing it away as 'rubbish' *grin* I wouldn't have me any other way either. I'm learning to relish my chaos *chuckle*

    I hope you and your Blackberry (and your granddaughter) are all happily reunited on Sunday :)

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  3. Wow - sounds more like OCD!! LOL

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  4. I can completely relate. Up until 3 months ago I only had my Env3 phone with limited web access and I believe that everything was ok UNTIL I joined the crackberry nation and got my BB. I was instantly hooked and it took full CONTROL of me hahaha. recently when my trackpad broke, I was completely lost and was standing at the Verizon door at 9am when they opened haha.
    Great Blog !!!

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  5. SJerZGirl: Yeah, could be a bit of OCD. : - )

    Mojo Writin':That I couldn't live like that is demonstrated by my day planner--and I'm retired!

    Christina & Jenni: You understand. : - )

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  6. I've always had dumb phones, but my husband promised me a smart phone for Mother's Day. You know, the holiday we celebrated last month?

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

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  7. So so funny. Yes, I got my first smartphone a few years back and since then... I'm done. Lol I even use mine for an ebook reader because I can go through sooooo many more books than ever in shorter time. But mine is a big enough phone I can do that. Where would I be without it? I have to charge it on average 2-3x/day but still... lol

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  8. LMAO this was great, I am so anti-cell phone its crazy....but I understand..Hello my name is Brenda and I'm a comp-a-holic...(( dont touch MY computer..and GET OUT of MY chair !! ))

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  9. LOL!!! I love my CrackBerry, um, BlackBerry, too. :O)

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  10. LOL indeed! The last line just made me laugh so hard that our dog woke up from her sleep :)

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