technology challenge

Last night my phone decided to go on the fritz. Panicked, I had Jeff take the battery out, then put it back in. Still no phone. So we left the battery out over night and tried it again this morning. Still no phone. I ask Jeff when can we go to Verizon to get it looked at, and he tells me 'well probably not until tonight'. My reply 'I have to go all day without my phone?!?' He just looked at me, 'I think you'll make it.' That's when I realized how pathetic I sounded, and I wondered when did it come to this? When did I become so obsessed with my cell phone? It is seriously like an appendage. And this makes me sad. I am so dependent on technology. I'm constantly checking facebook and instagram on my phone, or pinning away on pinterest, or looking something up online. What's happened to me?

I miss the simplicity of less technology. It seems to dictate life; our phones, computers, tablets, TVs. I miss quiet evenings with a book in my lap. I miss spending time with friends and not having our cell phones on the table constantly being checked. Yes, there are obviously Pros to technology. I love being able to instantly take a picture of Brody and share it with friends and family, and yes, being able to look something up at the drop of a hat is convenient. But what about our kids? What about future generations?

Jeff and I have talked a lot about how we want to raise Brody, and technology always comes up. Of course we want him to enjoy it, but at the same time, we don't want him obsessed with it. We want him to go outside and play not sit in front of a TV. We want him to read books and put puzzles together and build things, not play xbox We want him to use his imagination when it comes to play time.  And if we want to raise our son to appreciate technology but not rely on it, we better start living that way too.

So I suppose the loss of my cell phone was something of an eye opener. It made me realize that I can, in fact, get through the day without it. I'm not saying I didn't get on our laptop a time or two, and I did reach for my lifeless phone out of habit, but life did go on.  And as I sit here typing this, I am still phoneless. I'm beginning to think maybe this could be a start of a new challenge. A challenge to myself, and by default Jeff (for the record he's not nearly as cell phone addicted as I am). I am challenging myself to use my phone less. Rely on technology less. When I'm with friends, to not have it out, unless of course there's a photo-op. At dinner time, phones must be out of sight, no answering. And the TV, I think it's time to limit the boob tube. Not a huge list of change but it's a start. In the end, it's lead by example. The less Jeff and I glorify technology, the less likely Brody will.