“I hate this stupid thing, and I am sending it back!”

Sigh! My first “real” cell phone was a nightmare, and I hated being stuck with this new contraption! In the past, I had cheap flip phones to take on vacations that I would pay on a monthly fee. They were simple to operate and nothing fancy. Sometimes, I would keep them for a short time until I forgot about them and stopped paying the bill.

One time, some of my sixth graders asked if I were a drug dealer since I had a burner phone. I shook my head, gave them the “look,” and told them, “They watched too much TV.” At that point in my life, I did not want a phone at my hip 24/7. And I still thought phones belonged on the kitchen wall; you wouldn’t lose them, and it was easy to ignore them. And I never worried about leaving home without it.

Well, nearly two years ago, circumstances changed, and my sweet daughter told me it was time to get a phone or she would get me a life alert. This Grammy was not a happy camper, although I briefly contemplated all the fun I could have if firefighters showed up at my door each time I pushed the button on the life alert. However, Leslie reminded me that, eventually, they would send the sheriff. For some reason, that didn’t hold the same appeal. Finally, as much as I hated to admit it, it was time for this dinosaur to move into the 21st century. Still, I didn’t have to like it. Besides, to add insult to injury, my stupid smartphone proved to be much smarter than me.

My family and my students laughed at my struggles, but they also helped this Grammy out when I needed help maneuvering this strange device. While we had issues in the beginning, I eventually came to like my phone. And even love it…just a little.

Who wouldn’t love to have a camera nearby or enjoy audiobooks at a moment’s notice? And forget the alarm clock; this one is easier. I now do not get lost as often when I am taking road trips. With a touch of a button, I have favorite tunes ready to listen to at a moment’s notice while driving or working out. And, of course, I love receiving texts from my kiddos, and I enjoy ….uh oh… it’s official…my phone has become my sidekick and companion. And well, what can I say? Nobody puts Baby in the corner, or in this case, back on the kitchen wall!

Photo by Mihai Moisa on Unsplash