Cell-Phone-Less-Ness

This past Tuesday, after spending a wonderful weekend in Reno visiting my mom, step-dad, brother, and other family members, Hudson and I took a little adventure to Bakersfield to visit Kay Kay and Martin. Jeff was unable to go due to work unfortunately, but having traveled alone with Hudson several times, I was confident we would have a great time anyway. I was very excited as this would be Hudson's very first train ride. As Jeff and Hudson walked around the train station waiting on the train to arrive, I snapped some photos and scrolled through Facebook.

We boarded the train and took off, snapping a photo here and there, updating statuses, and texting the entire train ride (as much as Hudson allowed anyway) to keep myself entertained while Hudson peered out the window, ate snack, and played throughout the two hour train ride. We arrived in Bakersfield and I called Jeff to let him know we arrived. Kay Kay and Martin were there to pick us up and we headed to lunch. We brought out our phones and more photos were taken and the next few days would be full of fun, laughter, pictures, and of course, status updates and phone calls or texts. We were having a blast. Wednesday afternoon came and the phone calls, Facebooking, and texting came to a hault as I lost my cell phone when we were leaving the outlets at Tejon Ranch. It was a huge bummer and at first, I am going to fully disclose the fact that I literally felt as though a part of me was missing. I would get the urge to take a photo and couldn't. I would get an urge to check Facebook and couldn't. I felt a little lost and anxious at the fact that this disconnect from the social media world was happening to me. I then realized that my cell phone was an addiction for me! Honestly!

This was/is a little embarrassing, but incredibly eye opening! Not having this little device truly has opened my eyes to what I am missing--and I'm not talking about missing out on social media. For example, so often I view my son's life through the lens of my cell phone camera. Rather than enjoying the moments in time and committing them to memory, I focus on capturing them to my cell phone and rely on it to remember the moments. I do this with lots of things--meals, vacations, date nights. I think back and feel like I don't really truly remember all of the details because I was too bust snapping photos to post on Facebook and Instagram. Even going and getting a pedicure, I would sit there and scroll through playing on my phone rather than just letting my mind relax. Today, I went and had a mani/pedi without the distraction and it was so relaxing! Without my phone, I have been able, for the last few days, to enjoy the moments with my family and with Hudson. I have been able to fully engage in conversation without the urge or distraction to check in to social media. It has been one of the most amazing things, I must say.

I have come to realize that cell phones and social media are truly a blessing and a curse, for me personally anyway. Sure, they are wonderful in the sense that people are now made more accessible in the case of urgent matters and that long distance relatives now have the ability to keep tabs on what we are doing via social media, but in my personal experience, the hold it has...or the priority it has on me I should say, was something that of an addiction. My phone was literally attached to my hand at all times. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, e-mail, and photo-taking/sharing consumed a lot of my day. To be so fully consumed with something just isn't okay with me, because it means my focus isn't where it should be. I am so glad that my phone is gone right now because none of those things feel as important!

It just seems obsessive and I really don't feel God is happy with how much this habit consumes me. I feel now that I waste a lot of my time that could be used for doing other things to serve the Lord or my family rather than be on social media or my cell phone. Does this mean I think they are "bad" or that I won't be using them anymore? Absolutely not! But my perspective on just how much I used it before has really come into the light for me and have inspired me to make a few changes:

1. When I do get my replacement phone, I am not going to download social media apps.
2. Before checking any social media on the computer, I must read at least ONE Bible verse AND my daily Bible study must already be complete.
3. Before checking any social media on the computer, ALL housework must be complete for the day.
4. Limit myself to taking FIVE photos per day.


Again, this post is fully from personal perspective and experience, but if you are one of the millions who are on your phone quite a bit, I would urge you to try to cut back some; you may be surprised to find out what you are missing out on back in real time!

Blessings to you and yours,
Kaila