No Phone Saturday...

Guess what?  Today I didn't use my cell phone.  I didn't call or text anyone.  I didn't use it to take a photo, or check the weather.  I didn't scroll through emails with it.  I actually left it in my bag all day.  I will look at it tomorrow.  I should also note that I didn't look at either of my phones because, yes, I have more than one due to work.  Neither of them came out to play today because I just didn't feel like I wanted to connect with anyone in that way. 

I wanted to see today, all of it and not through the lens of a phone.  I wanted to talk to people face to face, not through a text or hurried phone conversation.  I wanted to look directly at who ever I  talking to and not bother to look down to check for a text message or other notification.  I wanted to be present in the moment.  It was nice to not dig through my bag or once say "where is my phone?"  Surprisingly, I didn't miss it.  Maybe it was just another step in my drawing my world smaller...part of the culling? 

This afternoon my youngest son and I were walking through a park and walked by the amphitheater area and both of us noticed the strangest thing...there were lots of people sitting there in the shade of the hot afternoon but it was eerily silent...everyone was literally looking at their phones.  I think it says something about how far this phenomenon has gone when a 14 year old notices it and says something about how sad it was.  He also spent several hours last night with friends and none of them used their phones and he came home excited about what great conversations they had.  Wow...telling, isn't it? 

I am going to make some phone changes because real life truly is better and people deserve your presence and not just virtually. I want to hear your voice and your laughter but lets do it face to face whenever possible.