The other night Kendry asked to listen to his Veggie Tales music on the iPod, so together we walked out to retrieve the iPod from the car. When I handed it to him he promptly said, "I want the iPhone, Mom."
Kendry's statement stopped me in my tracks. How on earth does he know what an iPhone is?
I answered him casually: "Nope, thats an iPod, bud. That plays your music."
"Noooo, I want the iPhone." (Can you hear the whine building?)
"Kendry, we do not have an iPhone. You're fine with the iPod."
"Nooooo, I need the iPhone!"
At this point I could feel my blood pressure rising. Was I seriously defending myself to a three year old because we don't own an iPhone? My mind quickly formed a list of Kendry's daycare classmates and I began to visualize each adorable little face, pondering which of the little troublemakers had convinced my son that he was already technologically behind.
"Nooo, Mom. I want to listen to my music. I need the ear phone!"
And then it made sense.
iPhone.
eyePhone.
earPhone.
headPhone.
Headphones! Thats what he was after!
Whew.
Chalk another one up to parent-child miscommunication.
Once I got Kendry settled in with the iPod and headphones I couldn't help but chuckle at my emotions over this dialogue with him.
You see, this is our cell phone.
I'll bet you didn't even know they still made ones phones like this. Actually, they probably don't. Ours is at least four years old now. Its an AT&T Go-Phone for which we pay $26 every three months. It doesn't take or send pictures. It doesn't access the web. It can text, but that'll cost ya ten cents per text.
Its a bare bones phone for emergencies and travel, and it suits us.
Lend me your smartphone to make a quick call and I won't have the faintest idea how to use it.
Now answer me this: is that a bad thing?
Personally, we love not feeling tied down by a cell phone. We don't take our go-phone with us everywhere, nor does anyone really call us on it, because like I said, its for travel and emergencies.
And let's be honest here, before cell phones came along we survived just fine being out of touch for an afternoon or - dare I say it? - a trip to the park with our child.
Which is what prompted me to write this post.
Last week Justin and I took Kendry to the park. Usually we sit on a nearby bench and talk, occasionally getting up to play with and/or chase Kendry. There was another little boy there, about five years old, playing happily while his mother (mid-thirties, I would say) sat on another bench, eyes glued to her phone. This went on for a little while, until the mother notified her son she needed to sit in the car. She assured him, however, that if he called or waved to her she would hear him and answer. And in her defense, she could see him clearly the entire time.
Do you suppose her phone battery was dying and she needed to recharge it in the car?
Five minutes after she retreated to the car this woman's son came running across the park excitedly shouting "Mom, come look at this! Mom! Mom, come quick!"
He called a few more times, but she didn't respond. She was on her phone. I watched as this little boy's excited expression melted into hurt and disappointment, and it broke my heart.
To be fair, I do not know what this mother has going on in her life. Maybe she did have an important call to make. Maybe she had entertained her son all day and now he needed time to entertain himself.
But to be honest, I see this happening everywhere, and not just with our kids.
Have you ever been talking to someone when they get a text and they immediately rip their phone out of their pocket to read it, regardless if you are still mid-sentence?
Do you really need to take your phone out with you running? Goodness! Exercising is my 'me' time; I never take a phone.
"But what if someone needs to reach me?"
Then they'll reach you when they reach you. Its not going to kill you to turn your phone completely off during a movie.
Or church.
I'm guilty of it too, folks. While I don't have a fancy phone, I have noticed myself getting sucked into my Kindle Fire from time to time. Suddenly I realize that Justin has asked me a question and I didn't even catch what he asked. Or Kendry is halfway into my lap and I'm irritated because he's interrupting me, rather than noticing that my little man is needing some mommy time.
I'm not saying that iPhones are bad. I'm not saying that the internet or technology are bad. You already know I'm a Pinterest addict. These are all amazing tools, when you use them properly. And truth be told, if you gave me a free iPhone tomorrow I would take it - although coming up with a monthly data plan budget would have Justin promptly selling said free iPhone on ebay.
I simply want to challenge you to unplug every once in awhile.
Venture out to the grocery store without your phone.
Take a weekend break from Facebook.
Forget about multi-tasking (and the free WiFi) for a few minutes and savor the joy of your child playing nicely with other children at the McDonald's playplace.
You may be surprised at some of the simpler things in life you've been missing.
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