On Friday after I got home from work and my husband and children were all safely within the house, I turned my phone off.
I left my phone off until last night. Which was actually a bit longer than I had planned, because I forgot about it.
I forgot about my phone.
It was really, really nice.
I get a lot of phone calls and very few of them are social. Most of the people calling don't want to know how I am and how the kids are doing. They don't say things like, "How're your mom and them?" They say things like, "What can you do for me?" and "Let me tell you what I can do for you!" Because, apparently, there are a lot of really weird people out there who think, for some unknown reason, that I need someone to help me handle my business.
And maybe I do, because good God. I went to the gas station yesterday and sat next to the pump for like two and a half minutes looking in my purse for my debit card (which I TOTALLY hit cancel on and signed for, I promise) and thinking to myself, "I don't remember my mom ever having to search in her purse for money to get gas or pay for groceries".
And I find myself doing things like that. All. The. Time.
So maybe I need someone to help me handle my business. Not at the low, low price of only $3000 a month, though. If I had that kind of walking around money I'd use it to do something really meaningful. Like paying off that whore Sallie Mae.
But anyway. I didn't use my phone all weekend. And although I missed a call from my grandma (and I totally need to call her back today because I love her to death and she says things like, "I read your book and I laughed so hard I had to go sit on the toilet!" Because she was afraid she was going to pee herself, of course), it was really nice to not have all the other calls. I spent time with my husband and children and yes, part of that time was at the Mall, which I hate, it was still quality time. (And I went because he loves me and wants me to go and do things with him and also because it's necessary for me to monitor such things because he tried on a pair of pants that were $83 and I was like, "Dude. A pair of khaki pants for $83? Do they include a car?" and frankly, I don't want him to spend $11000 on pants. Okay? Thanks)
I've totally forgotten my point.
Oh yeah. Turn off your phone and play Go Fish with your kids.
It's fun.
About Me
- That Chick Over There
- You might also know me as Stephanie Snowe. I'm a mom, a wife, a writer, and a blogger. Oh and people think I'm hilarious and they are right.
11 comments:
Yay for you! I do this ALL the time, it drives my husband crazy, and is the best thing I do for my mental health. I even turn off the house phone and have taught my children the following : The phone is there for MY convenience, if it's not convenient, I'm not answering.
I left my cell phone at home once when I went away for a weekend trip for work. It was accidental, but when I got to the airport and realized it was missing, I didn't have time to go back for it. It was wonderful and exciting. And since then, I've been more willing to treat my cell phone like I would a land line - if I'm actually home and would normally answer the phone, I will. Otherwise I wait until I'm home!!
Damn good advice :)
We have one cell phone. Hubs carries it.
I actually do have a prepaid phone that I use RARELY. I work in an office and have my own phone line so I don't want to spend $50 extra on a phone I hardly ever use.
People piss me off when they call the cell but not the house. Just e mail me for Christs sake. You'll get a response faster!
I do this all the time. It's called "I forgot to charge it and the battery is dead".
I never hear the phone anyway (profoundly deaf) so it's not a distraction. The computer (twitter, facebook, email) that's another story. So I try to leave the COMPUTER turned off until the kids are in bed.
I hate the phone and I hate my computer. I hate the fact that I have to spend hundreds of dollars to go on vacation just to spend time with my kids. I hate the fact that i'm so connected through my blackberry, facebook, blog, computers, you name it. People always know where to find me. Sometimes I want to go live in a community with no electricity, but I'd miss my hot showers too much. I think I need to turn off my phone sometimes and disconnect and just spend time with my kids also :)
I often wonder what we did before we started carrying phones around every waking hour. Good for you, Chick!
On days I forget to grab my cell phone, I initially panic when I first realize that I left it somewhere in the house. But then when it's not bugging me throughout the day, I think I should "forget" it more often. The quiet is wonderful.
Remember car games? I kicked ass at the alphabet game. Now it is, "please be quiet while we are driving. Mommy is on the phone." I can't imagine my mother ever saying that to me. Yet, I do it to my poor kids all day long. You know, so I can tell Kenny really interesting things like, "I just went to the store. No. Really. JUST now. Right this minute. Cool, huh?"
I always do my best to give my kids as much of my attention as I can when they are awake. If it means ignoring phone calls, not watching TV or goofing off on the computer I'll do it.
But once they are in bed? A totally different story.
No wonder I'm so freaking tired all the time, I don't sleep enough.
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