cell phone age

Even though I refuse to accept it we all live in a cell phone world.  All over the world people use cell phones and so many can't live without them.  I don't have anything really against them, but I have never been impressed by them or felt a need for it.  Actually the one time I really needed it, traveling by myself with Anika, in the middle of a rain storm and the van dying with no houses or anything for about a mile and I didn't have reception.  But some nice guys stopped and helped me out in minutes so really, did I even need it then?  I think people are so quick to justify "needing" one when in fact, the world goes on without them.

Ever since we were married, or I should say ever since I started driving by myself (which was 1 or 2 years after we were married) I had a cell phone.  Mainly because the company I worked for paid for it so why not and it was my emergency phone only.  Ehren could tell you how emergency it was because any time he wanted to get a hold of me he couldn't because I had it off.  If I used 10 minutes a month that was a lot.  Maybe it has to do with the way I grew up because phone calls were so expensive growing up we barely used it.  So I never got into the mode of chatting with girlfriends for hours on the phone like many Americans did.  I know, now it is more just texting versus talking but still a lot of my generation loves talking on the phone and everywhere I go I listen to their very chatty conversations that I just wouldn't have over the phone.  I guess I'm not a phone person even though if I don't get to see someone in a long time, like my sister-in-law we could talk on the phone for a long time, or I should say a long time for me. :)

Anyway, after we moved up north I knew I didn't want a cell phone because of how ridiculously expensive it is but to have a peace of mind I got a "tracfone", mainly because of how bad our vehicles are and so I can get a hold of Ehren if something happened.  So I've had that for 5 years now and never once thought I needed anything else.  It is actually nice when I drive for an hour to just sit in silence versus trying to think of who I need to call to not "waste" any minute of my day.  I never even gave that number to anyone because it is off most of the time and I never check messages.  And that's how I like it.  I like being free of people when I go somewhere, when I try to escape my life for a bit.  On the other hand, if I need to get a hold of someone, like my husband, it is nice to have it and be able to use it.

The reason I write about this is because last night once again I came to one of those times when my minutes expired and I needed a new card for the phone, which is probably 3 times a year or so.  I never put those minutes on there because it is a pain in the butt and when Ehren was reminding me of this yesterday I said maybe I should just get a new phone to make it easier.  So on my grocery run to Walmart I checked out the phones and to my surprise I found one for just $10 that has everything I'll ever need.  You should see how obsolete my 5 year old phone looks, you can't even find one of those anywhere.  And I think this was the first time in my life I was actually excited about a new cell phone, one that has more than 3 ring tones. :) I still doubt I will use it more than until now because I just don't travel that much but it is nice to have a more user friendly phone.

So that is the story of my cell phone life.  I even have texting now so beware, I might just text Ehren sometime.  Although, for the few minutes each month I call him it really doesn't matter that texting is cheaper.  It is funny because even my mom over the years have become so efficient in using a cell phone and texting to everyone.  Over there cell phones are the way to go though, they are way cheaper than in the US.  I just cannot justify paying over $60 a month for the very basic cell phone plan when I can spend $10 and have everything I need in a cell phone.  But I am beginning to think I have to step up my game here a bit because by the time our kids are teenagers which is not that far out, I'll have to use it to be able to reach them and talk to them.

So here is to another 5 years if this phone will last that long.  For the most part though, I am an e-mail girl.  When I have so many kids during the day there is hardly a quiet moment and every time I get on the phone one of them has to start screaming on top of their lungs and if I e-mail, I can just do that no matter the noise. :) And it is also way easier to get to the point in the e-mail, not overreact and compose my thoughts together.