I've Become That Person

Isn't it funny how you do things that you swear you'll never do.

When I finally broke down and got a cellphone a couple of years ago, I swore I wouldn't be that person.

That person that is walking around chattering while picking out produce.

Texting in the checkout line.

Nope, not me.

I won't answer a call when I'm driving.

Or return a text message at a stop sign.

Nope.

Yep.

I've turned into that person.

It's been bugging me a lot lately that I've been so connected to the phone, and distracted with it.  

I've tried checking it in the am, turning it off, and leaving it be til noon.

It worked for a day or two.

I'm a hypocrite, because I can't stand when I see people doing the very thing that I've been doing.

The other day, I swear, this young woman walked right in front of my car at the grocery store parking lot while she was looking at her phone.

I seriously felt like giving her a little tap with my bumper.

Are you guys sick of everyone's heads in their phones?

I so don't want to be that person.

I also don't want to pay nearly $90 a month to do it!

This was the clincher.  

Now, y'all know I have ADHD.  I really don't know why they call it Attention Deficit.  I do not have a deficit of attention.  I have a problem with OVER attention.  I know everything that is going on.  I'm aware of every conversation around me, and the traffic, and the air conditioning running, and the fact that the label in my shirt is itching my neck.

 It's a problem of filtering things out, is what it is.

Glenco and I picked seven gallons of sour cherries, and when we were up in town, I stopped at JoAnn fabrics to get some cherry themed fabric to make little toppers on the jam jars.  I know.  Cute, right?  

SO...I'm on the phone pulling up some JoAnn coupons, we are in the fabric line, Glenco is talking to me, but I hear the cutting gal telling a customer that the store is closing.  I interrupt Glen and tell him 'omg, the store is closing', while I'm on the phone - 

He just looked at me.

Aaron - who is more mature than I am at times, yesterday scolded me for checking email while checking out at Target.

They are right.

When we got home, I took the scooter to the local cemetery.  It's an old, old cemetery a few miles from here in the woods.  I needed to be there.  There's an old cement bench that I sit on and think.

Could I discipline myself to leave the phone be?

Nope.

I've really tried. 

Could I just live without it?

I did fine without it before.

Sure, it's convenient.

Yes, it's expensive.

I spent about 15 minutes in the cemetery pondering this.

I came home and called T Mobile.

I no longer have a cell phone.

As of right now?

I like it.

My brain feels calmer.

IF and when I go back to a cell phone, it will be something with a few minutes and a 100 texts a month or something.  It will be cheap, and it will stay off unless it's an emergency.

I'm $90 a month richer, and my brain is a heck of a lot calmer.

Carry on.