A while back I penned a post about the growing fascination
with our cellphones wondering if we were heading for a kyphosis epidemic. I’m still convinced that scenario is a possible repercussion of walking
around bent over our phones and will manifest eventually, though maybe not in my lfietime. I just never saw
the allure of staring at that little itty-bitty screen so much. Count me as surprised there aren't more viral
videos of someone walking into a signpost or in front of a bus because they
just had to finish making that Facebook post.
I think the lack of allure for me was a mixture of my
general attitude toward the telephone as necessary luxury nuisance and the various
incarnations of phones I packed around while riding the wave of the ever expanding
cell phone craze.
I kicked up a fuss at getting my first cell phone about
15 years ago. After carrying a beeper for many years I didn't want to go back
to that tethered feeling. I had to acquiesce; I knew the cell phone wasn't going away any time soon. Back then choices
were fairly simple. Did it make calls? Yes, unless you had Qwest and were in NIMBY
city USA, Scottsdale; cell towers were frowned upon and there weren't enough of them. During the good old days it took 3 dropped calls to find out I needed to
bring home coffee AND bread.
As my thoughts fast forward through the years my face reflects on the seeds of my discontent; the cell phones I've owned. Or did they own me? I remember a Nokia candy
bar phone that I liked for its plain, simple design. It was great until the
cover started coming off every time I put it back in my pocket. The first phone I had that held music was a
monster of an LG with a full keyboard. More than once that monstrosity reminded me it was in my pocket if I bent over to pick up something off the floor. That phone however, got me hooked on having a
full keyboard; fold-out, slide-out didn't matter as long as it had a real
keyboard with keys. I've had some crappy phones because that was my thing. I had
one phone that was a touch screen phone but it had the full keyboard too. Despite many
threats to end its life by pitching it into the street, it just kept being its contrary
self. I was not going to get a touch screen phone. Never say never right?
A couple of months ago, prompted by a poke in the ribs from my Mrs, I picked out a new phone. I think she was more tired than I was of hearing me swear at the lousy phone and cell provider I had. I decided on an LG
Optimus, my virgin excursion into an all touch screen phone. I must say I am pleasantly surprised. I really
like this phone. It may not be as sexy as similar phones out there, though
it sure has done right by me; the battery life alone is a big upgrade over my
last few phones.
I've spent more
time fiddling with this phone just looking at apps or playing games than I ever
previously had any desire to with any of my old phones. The touch screen
keyboard has some space between letters making it easier to use. It will save words
I use a lot too, which are a benefit to whom ever is on the other end of my texts;
well most of the time anyway. Surprised yourself didn't you, you ol’ dinosaur?
I’d write more but I just checked my Weather app and it
looks like it’s going to be a good day to get out and pull weeds. Right after I
go win this game of Trivia Crack.
