digits.

after 5 months of living cell phone free in the states, i have joined the approximate 96% of fellow american mobile users. although i am welcoming myself to the connected club, to be honest, i intend to use my portable phone only for extremely important phone calls and/or texts. call me an old fogey, but, i have found that during my time of cell phonelessness, i have held myself more accountable to dates and in turn, so have my friends with whom i've made said plans. yes, yes, i know. unexpected things occur, traffic jams, la-la-la, but where else do you need to be? where else do i need to be? so for me, waiting a brief 10-15 minutes until paths connect is a welcome moment to observe life, make lists, read a passage from my book, or simply let my thoughts drift.

HOWEVER, i must say that i am thankful to others (some, even strangers!) for letting me use their phones during my lack. the other night, after spending time with a friend, i came home late, around midnight and as i had feared, my parents locked me out of the house. they locked the screen door, to which i don't have a key. after some time of futile attempts to stir them from their slumber, i was just about to give up, when! to my delight, an unknown neighbor pulled into his parking spot. with my backpack on my back and a meek smile, i asked the young man if i could use his phone to call my parents who locked me out of the house. four rings and one message on the answering machine later. no dice. repeat. finally! my dad woke up and unlocked the door, granting me access home. so yes, being locked out of one's house is a great example of an important time to use a cell phone and i'm appreciative to have that luxury now. still. don't call me. unless you must.