The Honeymoon Phase

Hi all.

So, just in case you are reading this and you don't know me very well, I am a chronic procrastinator. Please do not confuse this condition with conditions such as being chronically late, or chronically missing deadlines.  I am most often early wherever I go, and I meet most of my deadlines... task to be completed at the deadline may have begun 20 minutes earlier, but that's not the point.  The point is that I have been procrastinating on this post long enough, and it's time I get to it.

Anyway, it has been almost 2 whole weeks that I have been living without a cell phone (and what a wonderful two weeks it has been).  I haven't gotten any 3 am phone calls, or forwarded messages that threatened my well being if I failed to pass them on, or awkward messages from "that guy" that every girl tries to avoid.

It's been lovely.

Granted, I have missed out on a few things. During week one, my boss was constantly forgetting that I had no phone, and sending me text messages about everything from updates about work to invites to movies.  I'd always see her the next day and she'd say, "Did you get my message?"  

I'd just give her that look (you know the one).  The Girl, You Know I Don't Do Those Things Anymore look.  It would take maybe half a second for the glance to register, and then she would be super apologetic about it.  She always feels bad because she totally supports this whole endeavor, and she doesn't want me to feel out of the loop just because she forgets my changed methods of communication. 

But really... who are we kidding?  We all knew there would be an adjustment period, and I don't hold it against her at all (in fact, I am more appreciative of the fact that she supports the experiment. I feel like most bosses would just consider me to be a huge pain in the "you know what").

After being on "the grid" for over 5 years, people expect to be able to contact you. Anywhere. At anytime.  Which is part of the reason that I decided to cut the power... to curb the power. 

Your attention, and where you decided to focus it, should be under your control.  If other people have the power to draw your attention with a buzz or a beep, when you should be paying attention to something (or more importantly someone) else, it's time to take back control.

These past couple of weeks have been liberating.  I feel less worried, for some reason, when I go to the lab to work and I don't have to worry about rushing back to someone who "needs" to talk to me.  I also feel lighter.  This is literal folks.  I'm not turning to a fruit loop flighty, trying to explain some light, out of body, metaphysical experience.  I actually enjoy being 3.9 oz lighter (that's the weight of my cell phone for those of you who didn't make the connection).  It's 3.9 oz that I normally carry in the pocket of my jeans, and I can feel the absence. 

C'mon ladies... I've watched y'all tryin to lose some weight below the waist for years.  This is the perfect solution.

I've also been getting notes under my door, instead of text messages, from residents.  I like notes.  I can learn something different about you from every note that you slip under my door, and I just don't feel that way about texts.  Mind you, I don't want notes all the time.  Anything all the time is just a bad idea, very overwhelming.

So, in short... I've been in The Honeymoon Phase.  Normally this phrase would refer to new couples, just fallen in love and thoroughly twitterpated with each other (how sweet *gag*).  However, I've decided to adapt the phrase to fit my situation.  I am in The Honeymoon Phase... of my divorce... with my cell phone.

As everyone knows, the honeymoon can't last forever.  Slowly, but surely, the frustrations associated with my disconnect are starting to creep in.  I spent all of this past Monday going out of my mind, wishing I could just text someone in the lab.  In the end, I sent an email.  It worked just fine, possibly better than a text. 

Then, I went out for a night on the town at the local Bowl-a-Roll, and I lost my keys and wallet with all of my IDs.  I was a wreck and had to use a co-worker's cell to call home.  It was interesting leaving my name and contact information with the man at the desk.  Thinking to myself, "What phone number should I leave for him?"

Guess what... I found my keys in the parking lot back at school.  No big deal.

This is not going to be an easy year.  I've been very dependent (though not as dependent as most Americans my age, which I think is sad) on that 3.9 oz of technology for quite a few years.  I hope it will be worth the frustration.  I hope I'll get more out of this year than just a feeling of freedom.  I hope for a lot of things.

There is only one way to find out if my hope is justified...

________________________________________________________________________

 

*** a side-note to anyone who actually reads these posts, and anticipates the posts to come: 1) Thank you for actually caring, and 2) I will not be posting anything for a little over a week because I will be in North Carolina for spring break, building houses and whatnot.

With a Little Help From My Friends

It has been a week since the beginning of this blog, and 6 days since I called and canceled my cell phone account. Even though the request for deactivation was made on Monday, it has taken 6 days for Sprint to actually get me "off the grid." I turned my phone off the day I requested cancellation, and it has been an interesting week.... but I'd rather write about that tomorrow.


Today I want to write about the making of this blog. If there is something tech-related in this world to console me over the loss of my cell phone, or keep me going through this year long challenge, it would be this blog.

A week ago, when I actually decided to follow through with this absurd plan of becoming cell phoneless, I knew I had to begin this blog for motivation. Thankfully, I had the full support of my friends in ResLife at RIT. Even my boss was thrilled when she heard of my plan to blog about this challenge, and confirmed that I did not need a cell phone for work.

One of the beauties of working in a creative, open-minded environment is that the people are mostly creative and open-minded as well. On the night of the blog creation I was up till 4 am designing, drawing and writing this crazy blog... with two of my favorite people by my side.


Stephen Jones is my co-RA on the eight floor, here in Ellingson Hall. Well, he is my co-RA for the next week, and then he will be moving to Croatia to study abroad. No worries Stephen; Once a co, always a co! He is fellow creative and a fellow blogger, and he'll be writing about his study abroad in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

 

Also with me was Adam Kroll, one of the coolest people in the universe. No joke. Adam is one of my best friends, a world traveler, and great person to bounce ideas off of. We are currently having an in depth conversation about the economic levels within the fourth Harry Potter movie. The conversations about world issues, and the changes that need to be made are ever-stimulating and never ending.

Not only are my friends wonderful company, but they are also very supportive and genuinely involved in my endeavor (which is awesome, if you haven't gathered that yet).  Both Stephen and Adam made the creation of this blog a fun experience. 

Stephen showed me how to create the banner for the page in Photoshop (which, despite being a photography major, I have no idea how to use).  He also made some creative sketches for inspiration during the long night of blogging. 

The Man With the BlackBerry Ears

 

He was not the only one to contribute, however.  Adam made his fair share of sketches as well. He insisted that a character in the banner have a question mark head, and although I declined his suggestion, I still thought it should be included in the blog somewhere.

Man With the Question Mark Head

 

He also created on very versatile sketch, which portrays the concepts in the blog to a tee.  A giant cell phone, which propped one way, overwhelms the user.

 

Cell phone overwhelms/attempts to consume (?) its user.

... or, when propped the other way, becomes similar to the world - resting on the shoulders of Atlas. A heavy burden to bear.

Cell Phone Atlas

Needless to say, it was an interesting night.  As Stephen and I became hooked on blogging, we realized that we were not alone. Not only do many of our friends follow blogs, but many of them have their own as well. Also, the writing of our blogs is not a one man show. Input and support from our peers are invaluable resources, and it's nice to feel like people care.

So, thanks to all who follow my blog... and also to all who contribute to it. Constructive criticism is welcome and greatly valued...

... and I'll never begrudge a creative sketch.

Valentine's Day 2011: Day One of My Year Long Experiment

So... Today is (or should I say was) Valentine's Day. Two days ago, I vowed that today I would break up with my cell phone.

Today... That is exactly what I did.

As usual, I procrastinated, waiting till after classes and work to drive out to the Sprint store. I may, or may not, have also added a nap or two somewhere in there. After being on a cell phone contract for over 5 years, I just wasn't sure I was ready to end it.


Sometime around 6pm, I called in backup. David, my real Valentine, appeared for moral support. We drove to the Sprint store, and parked.... Has anyone ever noticed that cell phone stores and kiosks are incredibly intimidating? Every store is a spotless, modern, vast open space filled with a cornucopia of wireless technology and an army of persuasive men. Not the type of place I would normally venture. I got out of the car.

It's sometimes important to break large tasks into smaller, more manageable goals (something that I NEVER do). Getting out of the car was the first goal. After that, getting into the store was easy because Rochester in February is not the premier time/place to be going outside.

After getting into the store and paying my regular bill, I sheepishly told the man behind the counter that I wanted to cancel my contract.

"Oh, we can't do that here. You'll have to call customer service."

What!? Is there no sanity in the world today? I want to talk to someone, face to face. This whole canceling my phone thing is a big deal to me, and I don't appreciate working through it with a faceless machine. So, I left the store no closer to the goal than when I had arrived.

In the parking lot outside my residence hall (that's right, Sarah...residence hall. I hope you're reading) I pulled out my cell phone. Little did it know that it would become a key instrument in it's own eminent demise. There may have been a small twinge of sympathy in my heart for this poor inanimate, but that didn't last long.

After going through the usual process mechanized automation, a very nice customer service girl answered. Of course she wasn't in the right department (why would hitting the "1" button possibly correlate to what the machine tells you it will?), so she transferred my call.

The gentleman who helped me in "Account Services" was also very nice, although his long pauses between the questions he asked made me feel like I was at an interview with copious notes being taken.


Me: "I'd like to cancel my account."

Him: "Is there any particular reason behind wanting to cancel the account?"

Me: ***thinking, "It's none of your damn business why I want to cancel."***
         "No, I just don't want a cell phone anymore."

Him: "Woah... Goin off the grid, huh?"

Me:"Yeah."

Him: "Can I offer you a lower price plan?"



Tempting, but no... It's over.

He then informed me that I would be charged $90 for the cancellation, and that my phone would deactivate in 5 days. Hmmm... 5 days. That's not today. 

The evening was filled with meetings for work, and a photo op for the United Way. Then I drove home, to MY home, not the residence halls. Half way through my first batch of cookies (at 11:20pm), the red light began to blink.

A text message.

I open the text to read, "Are you on campus?"  At this moment, I realize that I've made the right decision. No, I am not on campus. I am not on campus, and I am not on call. That is not part of my job as a Resident Advisor, but some of my residents believe that it is.

Email me. Send me a Facebook message. Here's an original idea: knock on my door! If I do not answer, that means I'm not there. You can leave me a note, and I'll help you as soon as I get back. Your problems DO matter to me, but I will not stop my life to answer to you. I gotta take care of me too, and I answer to no one but God.

At 11:30 pm I turned off my cell phone for good. Half an hour before the end of Valentine's Day, but I still made my deadline.

Preparing for the Challenge

Some people can't live without the comfort of their cell phones.  Having a wealth of personal phone numbers at one's finger tips, and the ability to contact or be contacted at anytime, is an irreplaceable necessity for most individuals living in today's society.  I am not one of those people.

Meet The Thing...

This is one of my possessions that does not get an actual name (as opposed to the car, or the camera... things of some value).  This unfortunate piece of machinery does not deserve a name.  It deserves to burn in hell, nameless, forever questioning its identity the same way it questions its ability to send a basic text message without delay.

My relationship with The Thing has been rough from the start. About a year and a half ago (give or take a few months), in December, I was ready for an upgrade with my cell phone carrier.  At least, I thought I was getting an upgrade.

Yes, I will admit that I was desperately in need of a new phone, and the charming young man at the Sprint kiosk was very convincing. With his winsome smile and charismatic stories of grad-school glory, he obstructed my common sense. I fell victim to the sale, and what a victim I truly was... and would remain for the next year and a half.

Well... I WILL BE A VICTIM NO LONGER! That's right, readers. I am breaking free.

This weekend, I have been preparing for the separation.  An emergency disposable phone was purchased. A land line with an answering machine (children of the '90s, you remember those) has been set up. The necessary Facebook messages are being sent, and a blog has been started.

On Valentine's Day 2011, I am breaking up with my cell phone, and you won't be seeing me with another for a whole year.