Yes, I know. I know. But what if…
It’s
someone who rarely calls and I want to talk to them. Or…
It’s an answer to a (non-medical and not from a doctor) question I’ve been waiting for.
Or…
It’s
one of my kids just wanting to chat. Or…
’NUFF with the “ORs,”--- these really can wait because there’s
a live human being you are with, as in NOW.
I have few friends who agree and fewer who act as I do.
So, what do I do? With some of the above I send a
one-sentence text saying I will respond later unless this is an emergency. So
far, it only qualified as such once, and that is to this day my one exception.
I go one further and usually go for walks by myself sans
phone. This is more than being present because I’m with a live human being
other than myself; it’s about being with the human being that is me.
I suppose this sounds radical to many. I am blessed in the
sense that I grew up in days of yore and have an idea of what life without phone-slavery
is like, and I have little fear of keeping that aspect present in my life now.
You do you. I post this just as a wee consideration.
I’m with you, i.e., be with the person, not the phone. I had a friend who always answered her phone while we were out hiking and conversing. One of her sons would call—not an emergency—and she would engage with him instead of me. I never said how annoyed I felt; I just stopped hiking with her.
ReplyDeleteI will always hike with you, MirkaK, and also appreciate your advice
ReplyDeleteYes, the gift of presence. So many people have forgotten it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI agree about being with the person who is there and not answering the phone or replying to a text (except when it's time sensitive). I dislike call waiting for this reason; the person who answers call waiting is obviously prioritizing the other call over the person she is talking to now.
ReplyDeleteSomeone once put Call Waiting in its place: it's last come first serve. Rather rude, ey?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you almost completely, with 2 exceptions that are specific to my own situation: 1. I fell and broke my leg while walking so I do take my phone with me everywhere (including the bathroom) which is the recommendation for seniors, but that doesn't mean that I need to answer calls. The other has to do with living in a war zone and needing to be alerted about a missile attack.
ReplyDeleteHava, your two exceptions are spot-on. You are also the one who taught *me* how to live with and put the brakes on a smart phone when I came to have one years after you did.👍🏻
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