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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

17 Hours without an iPhone

Last night, I was enjoying my evening bath when my mum called.

The two of us spent about fifteen minutes catching up on our days and talking about:

  • Her quest for another set of the same curtains she had purchased six years ago ("Futile," I told her)
  • How my little brother had somehow received a good grade on his most recent school paper
  • Bejeweled jean jackets 

We said our goodbyes and love yous, and I reached over to set my phone on the edge of the Jacuzzi tub.

Except it slipped out of my hands.

And plunged into the water!

I must admit, my first instinct was not panic.

After all, I had hibiscus tea in my system, and I was sitting in a warm bath full of bubbles.

Instead, I felt very blasé, simply retrieving my drenched iPhone off the tub floor, drying it with a towel, and then burying it in a bag of basmati.

About fifteen minutes later though, panic set it.

I can't afford a new iPhone right now! If this phone doesn't survive, I'm doomed!

Either way, for the next seventeen hours—for better or for worse—I was to be without a phone.

The following are my observations.

My evening was much more productive. Obviously.

I was able to actually focus and enjoy the things I was doing. Instead of posting an Instagram photo of the cute teapot my grandma recently bought me, I savored the warm tea (and did so without constant interruptions of checking how many "likes" I was receiving). 
Photo I would have taken and posted last night, had I had access to a phone.
I actually paid attention during an entire TV show. 

I missed talking to Adam before bedtime.

I liked not staring at a screen while scrolling through Facebook and Instagram right before bed.

I was very scared going to sleep last night knowing I wouldn't be able to call anyone if there was an emergency.

The good news is, when I excavated my iPhone from the basmati this afternoon, it was mostly functional.

My home button is broken, but I can live with that.

Lessons learned?

Turn my phone off occasionally and enjoy the moment.

And do not ever bring an electronic into the Jacuzzi tub again.

3 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh!! I'm glad your phone works for the most part, but wow…what an excellent reminder. That silly phone! I use the excuse of, "oh I'm home alone all day, it's the only interaction" or "My husband needs to call me" but truth? That phone is such a distraction. What a good reminder! And what a beautiful way of writing about it.

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  2. Gosh Jenna, I'm so glad that except for the home button, your poor phone has survived! I'm so guilty of sometimes bringing my phone with me when I take a bath, but after reading about your experience I think I'll leave it safely in my living room next time! And I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote about being phone-less - sometimes being away from tech is so agreeable. Hope you'll enjoy your jacuzzi even without your phone ;)

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  3. EEK! I would have some similar feelings. A week or so ago I left my phone at home accidentally. It was a great reminder to unplug. I feel like I am more attached to my laptop then my phone though since I only got a smart phone after I graduated college...crazy parents who think phones should be just that phones.

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