We haven't been getting along well lately. I'm finding that its very clingy. It insists on being carried around everywhere - the car, the bed, the kitchen table, the playroom, the movies, the restaurants, even the bathroom for crying out loud. I've started to notice that my 8 month old son really hates it too. If he can't throw it or chew on it then he's constantly swatting it away if I'm holding the phone and playing with or feeding him. It, along with most other screens at my house, is turning my daughter into a zombie. Not the brain-eating gross-looking kind but the I-can't-be-bothered-with-anything-you're-saying-right-now kind.
My Smartphone is very demanding of my attention. When I put it down and step away, it sits there, staring at me. I can almost hear it saying, "Just take a quick look at Facebook. I bet someone liked your post...Don't you want to see if you have a new email...OMG! 10 people just liked your Instagram photo...I bet you want to check the weather, I have an app for that..." And on and on and on. And then it just has to buzz and blink and light up whenever anyone anywhere makes contact with me in some way, shape, or form. And if I don't acknowledge its notification quickly enough, it buzzes, blinks, and lights up again.
To be fair, it does have some redeeming qualities. I love the camera, Google Maps, and Clock. All useful tools condensed into one device. And while I'm very grateful for the ease it provided this past year during my project, My Year of Yoga, one thing my daily yoga practice has brought to my awareness is the absolute necessity of being present. Its taken over a year for me to truly and honestly realize what it means, what it feels like, and how my life is different when I am really, honestly, present. And I cannot be fully, honestly present as long as my Smartphone dictates as much of my life as I'm ashamed to admit that it currently does. Its distracting nature has affected my relationships, my patience, my stress levels, and my overall quality of life. So we're breaking up.
My intention, moving forward, is to practice and live in the present moment. To actively listen to what the people right in front of me are saying. To be fully engaged with the actual, tangible things in life and with the people around me, rather than with what and who is behind the screen. I intend to stay present to what is happening right now instead of scrambling to get a photo so I can post it on all my social media accounts. A memory is not really a memory when its only lived through a screen.To make this all possible, my Smartphone is now just a Phone with special talents. It has a camera, a clock, a map, and text messaging. All my other apps are gone. I have to check email from an actual computer which means I won't be checking my email during every possible moment of downtime. I won't be checking anything for that matter, while I'm waiting around for an appointment, riding the elevator, or standing in line. I might be the weirdo just standing there, staring into space. But really, how is that any weirder than the two people I saw this weekend sitting across from one another at a restaurant both tapping away on their Smartphones and checking their Facebook pages? You won't see me on my social media sites much, with the exception of my blog posts, my periodic My Yogi Lifestyle posts (the continuation of My Year of Yoga), and the occasional special post I deem worthy of taking the time to share. My phone sits in the kitchen in a designated spot (like those crazy land line phones from the olden days), and when I walk by it, I'll see if I've missed a call or a message. I'm not accessible 24/7 so if you need me, just call or text and if I miss you, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
