Why I Turned My Cell Phone Back On

After almost exactly one month without my cell, I finally decided to turn it back on. Did I have a radical change of heart in my fundamental reasons for getting rid of my cell phone? No. I really liked not having my cell phone. I felt liberated from the need to constantly call someone (to which my roommates can attest), and I was in two particular situations that caused me to really the love the fact that I lost my cell phone.

After visiting one of my clients in the Southern port city of Long Beach, I was driving back to the office on the freeway, and I missed my exit. At first, I panicked because I couldn’t call anyway for directions. But, after almost getting lost in a rich suburb north of work, I managed to find my way back to the highway. I felt proud of myself for this minor rite of passage in the big city.

The other incident also involved getting lost. I was on my way to a meeting of the Los Angeles chapter of 9to5 (I’m a board member), but I had the address wrong. So I ended up walking around for close to two hours without finding the spot during which time I was harassed by youth on bicycles and witnessed to by an attractive Chicano man. As I made my way back, I stumbled upon an amazing restaurant right around the corner humbly named Stuff I Eat. Despite missing the meeting, I was able to connect with my neighborhood on a new level by unplugging my phone.

Roe (my girlfriend) and I feared that we wouldn’t be able to communicate if I didn’t have my cell phone. Actually, we were able to talk as just often through Skype, and we both agreed that my not having a cell phone didn’t hurt our relationship.

But, there were problems. I had to borrow my supervisor’s work cell when I visited clients in their homes, and it was harder to get a hold of my parents and friends on Eastern Time. I had problems getting my calling card to work, and I was worried about potential job interviewers being able to reach me. The last straw for me was trying to notify my Dad I’d arrived at airport at 5:30am. I felt guilty for making people accommodate me.

At the end of the day, I find not having a cell phone to be liberating. I consider the myth that one “needs” a cell phone debunked, although life is less convenient in some ways without one. Ultimately, I found having a cell phone to be a service to others and that’s why I turned my phone back on.