This post is part of a series where I choose and write about a particular "Concrete Word "
Concrete words are terms that identify things and events that can be measured and observed. Concrete words are tangible in some way. So I decided to write about such "concrete words ".
I came across the concept " concrete words" on the Internet. So I decided to choose a concrete word and write about it. I was excited about this but then could not decide on one particular concrete word. The door, the staircase, the car, the parking lot. Nothing appealed to me. I pondered over it for days but nothing seemed to inspire me for a blog post. And then suddenly I found one . It was sitting right in front of me,staring at me. It is always with me. It is in my purse, in my white coat pocket, in the car. It is besides me always when I sleep. Sounds like a riddle? The answer is my iPhone.
My iPhone is certainly a huge part of my daily life. As I mentioned above it is just inseparable. But then I thought ...well I always complain about being technologically illiterate or may be being a 1st grader in that sense( no more a secret I guess ). Do I really need an iPhone?
In iPhone's defense I can check emails instantly which is so convenient. I can quickly glance at social media updates like Facebook statuses and twitter posts. I can chat with friends on what's app anytime I want. I certainly can use google maps for directions. At work I can check medicine dosages, drug interactions and pill pictures on apps. Many times I use the fancy calculator apps ( eg. osmolality or midparental height). I have numerous different apps to help me stay fit, track my calories and log my exercise . I can google anything I want. I can take pictures and share them instantly with friends .The iPhone helps me wake up in the morning to whatever tune I like( or dislike ) and get going to start a new day. I can make numerous to do lists and edit them constantly. Last and most important I can text and call my husband and my family back home in India. So all in all an exhausting list of most important, some not so important things in life that I use my iPhone for.
However when I think of my pre- iPhone era which is not too long ago( 2 years to be precise ) I was doing all of the above back then. I used a GPS while driving around. I never had any trouble reaching the destinations that I went to. I had two cameras both of which took excellent pictures. I used a pediatric handbook to help me with my basics. I used desktops at work to access Uptodate, Lexicomp and Epocrates. I did and still do own a laptop . I did and can use it for all the above listed things.
But my candy bar and flip phones( not so smart phones ? ) gave me much more than just sending texts and talking to people. I always had some ME time. As I would wait in line at Starbucks for an order I used to enjoy the wait. I use to love the aroma of fresh coffee beans being crushed. I was mindful of the efforts the barista put into making that perfect chai tea latte to my taste as I savored my chai . Now I just sip it without noticing any of the above. Why? Because I am busy checking facebook updates and twitter feeds. At home when I sat across the table for a Friday night dinner with my husband I loved his company. I felt his presence. We used to initiate a random conversation, laugh and giggle or fight and argue over a topic. Now we both are physically present at the dinner table . But we are engrossed in checking social media updates on iPhone. Ironically we are interested in what our friends are doing right now in different parts of the world while we hardly acknowledge the person sitting next to us. On weekends when we went on road trips I loved looking at the beautiful nature peeking out the car window and even feel the fresh air kissing my cheeks. With an iPhone now on our road trips I am bound to google outfit ideas. I don't realize that this should have( and can be ) done prior to our trip or later for another trip.
So why do I need an iPhone? Is it a fad? Is it peer pressure ? Is it that I don't want to be the only one at work without a smart phone ? Is it embracing the changing world and scientific advancements? Is it convenience and saving time ? The answer is YES to every single question listed above. But I believe that the most important question to be asked is - can I still do all that I do without an iPhone? The answer is indeed YES to this question too.
But let me be honest with you. At this point it is hard for me to let go of my iPhone entirely. I find it just impossible to switch back to a candy bar/flip phone.There might be somebody who can but I personally am not ready to make that change. However I can make a conscious decision. I am going to be mindful of the moment. Being obsessed with and addicted to iPhone I am loosing on these precious experiences. Experiences which once meant so much to me. These experiences which will create good memories for a lifetime looking back at which will make me smile. Years later I will remember the breath taking views on our drive up to the mountains. I will remember the picturesque fall colors. I will not remember that twitter feed from our trip to Smokey mountains. None of the hundreds of facebook statuses I looked at sitting in the log cabin will mean anything. I will cherish the quality time spent with my husband. I will remember our dinner dates that made us feel like newly weds so much in love. I will admire the smile on his face and his witty remarks during our conversation that I fell for. The moments and experiences which are so magical and precious, rejuvenating and refreshing.
So it is up to me to make a choice. I can choose to be dumb by using the smart phone or I can be smarter and not let the Iphone ruin MY life.
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