Cell Phones and/or the lack thereof

I don't have my cell phone anymore. The cell phone disconnection was quite unintentional. I started by not picking it up, or knowing where it was for several days at a time. The next part of the process, toward disconnection, was leaving the phone at home when I ventured out. It was strange the first two times. Now, it feels better than the comfort of having it with me. You know the dieting phrase, 'nothing tastes as good, as skinny feels? That is what you feel like when you ditch the cell phone.

I began to notice some rude components in many group situations. Individually, people were paying more attention to their cell phones than the people they were fortunate to be visiting. I noticed the difference mostly, when I visited with my work friends. My work friends, as a whole, simply would not dismiss you, to respond to a message. There are many reasons why. Most of all, I'd like to think, we value our time together. The other reasons subconsciously create this phenom. The overall strangle hold cell phones have on our society is abhorrent. When I put the behaviour and societal conditions into the equation, it adds up to madness. Complete and udder madness.

I want to take a few more stabs at this, in presentation, before I offer some solutions. Let's compare playing a handheld game device, and the ongoing conversation that is shared by text with two people. (or more?) What person do you know would play a game device after being invited to dinner with you? Or maybe you visited them at their home and they were involved in a video game.. but didn't hit stop, pause, or off, to focus their attention on you. Well, I guess if that happened, no, please don't get up, I can find my way out. I walked you to the door, are you seeing now, the comparison between a person's intense interest in a cell phone and the hypothetical video game, or game device?

I realize this is an economical explosion for social networking, and other forms of desirable media. Shouldn't it all be taken in stride for what it is? Seriously, you want to be completely connected to everyone you know? You don't want a break from accessibility? Turnaround is not fair play. You only have to be available when it's convenient to you. This creates the loss of the mutual compromise that takes place, when building and maintaining, a relationship. One electronic tool, is increasing the shallow gene pool.

Lets look at some ways to bring sexy back. First and foremost, is always safety. The convenience factor of owning a cell phone is having the ability to call ahead if your lost or late. Maybe for distance driving, and knowing you have access to any of the options that keep you safe from harm, or inconvenience. Those things are the very real reasons cell phone connectivity has lost the luxury luster. That said, lets do an experiment; leave the cell phone in the trunk. If not always, at least 90% of the time. Not in the glove compartment box, as I know you will be reaching over to remove it, while your driving! If your late or lost, you can pull over to a parking lot to use the phone. See how the phone feels in your trunk? It's not so bad to be alone with your own thoughts, is it? Do you find, your actually doing some productive thinking? I believe the more often the phone is in the trunk, the less dependent you will become. It's empowering, let it happen.

Cell phones are crack. What someone will lie, cheat and steal to have, brings about the addictive factors. I would suspect working for a cell phone company, must be likened to a bartender? Where else would you deal with addictive personalities on a daily basis? Where the main function of your job, is catering to destructive behaviour. If cell phones can destroy relationships, and they do, it's time to turn the power off. Don't let something of an electronic nature, come between you and someone you care to spend time with. The same way I would hope you would not let prohibitive substances come between you and your reality, I would urge you to take a good look at your electronic habits.

Afterall, would you rather your cell phone be in your trunk, or up your ass?