My Phone-Free Morning
- A few days ago I went out for a few hours and when I was too far from home to easily go back, I realized I’d forgotten my phone at home.
This was very bad news, since I had so many people who would need to get in touch with me…
I had left 2 sem girls in my house, one cooking and another cleaning for a group we would be hosting that night. They for sure would be whatsapping me photos with questions (“cut the cucumbers like this?”) to make sure they were doing things the way I like them done.
AND I was expecting a huge supermarket delivery (the 15 bags of flour, 12 packages of cheese-type) and the delivery men would be calling to ask how to find the entrance to our home.
AND I had offered to pick up an older friend who was being released from the hospital that day, but she hadn’t yet told me what time.
AND my 2 younger boys were starting school that day. What if something went wrong and they needed me?
AND what if my husband was trying to get in touch with me, and he was concerned?
Truth is, it felt nice to be phone-free, to be so unusually undistracted, to be fully focused on what I was doing rather than responding to all sorts of urgent phone calls and WhatsApp messages.
On the other hand, it felt unnerving. I was enjoying the quiet, but at what price?
After 3 hours, I finally got home. I picked up my phone and anxiously checked my messages.
I saw that my sem girls, who had already left, had sent me several messages and then deleted them, and judging from the clean downstairs and finished cooking, it was clear they had managed fine.
My older friend had sent a message that in the end her neighbor was bringing her home, so she wouldn’t need my help. Thanks anyway.
The delivery was safely ensconced in my front hallway.
My husband had sent me a few messages, be had waited patiently for me to respond. He didn’t even realize I was phone-less for 3 whole hours.
And then my phone ring. It was my Yoni, who was starting 3rd grade that day: “Eema, WHERE WERE YOU?! I called and called! Why didn’t you answer?’
“I’m sorry Yoni, I forgot my phone at home so I didn’t have it with me for a few hours.”
“Oh, OK. I just wanted to tell you that I need you to buy me a glue stick for tomorrow.’
And that is when I remembered that the world survived for many, many years without cellphones. And the world can survive without me for a few hours too.
🙂
I really love this and can relate in a very real way. Thank you Chana Jenny.
I love this!!