It was one of those crazy mornings. Something that almost every parent can relate to – a late start, school drop off, rain, toddler in tow…. You get the drift!
You’d also agree, that often, all this chaos culminates into a clumsy, yet clinical drop of a cell phone. A fall so strategic that your lifeline, your cell phone is smashed beyond recognition, beyond repair.
And that’s exactly what happened to me. That’s right! I was sans mobile for a few days. I looked at my cracked phone wistfully and helplessly. A phone is a phone is a phone. What’s the big deal? But here’s the thing: Old habits die hard.
Even though my cell was dead, I longed to check my FB feed. The luxury I could afford myself when I had a few seconds to veg-out. I missed being able to read the news on the go. Something I liked to do when I had a few minutes to check-in with the world. I was unable to take cute pix of my boys to capture those “Awww…” moments that we as parents do every now and then.
It was an odd, lonely feeling, until I got used to not having my cell be the conduit of my escape or reality. In a weird way, I felt more “present”. I saw and listened more as my pace of life had somewhat slowed down. I was having more engaging conversations with my family. I was forced to remember more since I couldn’t instantly capture it all.
I don’t think I realized it till I lost my beloved former “friend”. The preoccupation of having the power to send out that email now (versus later) is all pervasive. Previously I was so focused on snapping the “now” that I often forgot to savor the moment. My cell-free days had me smelling the roses. Now that I have my old friend back, I welcome it, but it’s definitely second to the roses I found 🙂
Queen Anne Co-op Preschool 