This post is brought to you by the Millennial generation. If you are older than about 40, you are allowed to roll your eyes at all of this. However, let’s remember that you raised us. Also, I dare you to try what’s below for two weeks and see what happens!
Y’all. It’s been a stressful two weeks. Due to a shocking turn of events, my cell phone plan ran out of data after only 15 days into the month. That’s only halfway through the month! Do you know what that means?!
It means I was cast into the Stone Age, that pre-smartphone era where only the strongest map-readers could survive. And, let’s be honest, I’m far from competent in the “figures things out for herself” category.
First of all, let me defend myself by saying I have no idea how I ran through 4 gigs of data. My husband and I share a phone plan and, unfortunately, you can see whose phone uses how much data. Even more unfortunate is that it was clearly my phone that ran the data usage into the ground.
I’ve never come close before!
Thankfully, my ever-patient husband took it like he takes just about everything:
“Ah well, these things happen. Have I mentioned how stunning you look today?”
OK, that last part may not have actually happened…in real life.
I blame Netflix…and possibly Facebook. I have the sneaking suspicion that Netflix was streaming in the background, sucking out all data without a whiff of guilt. So, I took my husband’s advice and deleted that soul-leeching app.
While I could have spent $15 for an extra gig of data, I thought, “No, you survived college (with many road trips) with no Google Map and smartphone, so I think it’d be a good exercise to forgo technological assistance for two weeks.” Also, our pastor is doing a sermon series on 40 days of fasting, and he’s been promoting cell-phone fasting. Frankly, I graciously ignored his suggestions until it was forced…by NETFLIX (or was it the Lord?)!
Let’s remember that I’ve only lived in South Carolina for six months, and I’m still learning how all of these little back roads connect. I’ve always had my little touch-screen friend to rely on in case I get lost. Well, I didn’t technically get lost, but we may have taken the long way a few times.
Also, I went to a writing conference two hours away. Know what I had to do? I had to print Google Map directions. ON PAPER. Thankfully, our printer had plenty of ink. The lack of smart phone did make me feel very insecure on my drive, however. At one point, interstate traffic came to a dead stop, and I had zero warning because the little map on my printed page failed to turn that blood-red warning color. Therefore, I had to off-road the minivan through a grassy ditch to join the line of cars flowing through a truck weigh station to avoid the wreck. It was quite an adventure.
To be honest, I did eventually cave and spend the $15 for an extra gig of data. I couldn’t rely on my brain and sense of direction to get me anywhere new on time. I did, however, keep my data turned off except when I really needed it. It was weird to not scroll social media when I had a free moment. I mean, I had to actually watch my children on the playground…the whole time.
Plus, it’s super fun to have a bunch of beeps and dings greet me whenever I pull into our garage and my phone connects with our Wi-Fi. If that’s not a sweet welcome home, I don’t know what is.