Why I'm glad I broke my phone

Some of you are not clumsy, very careful, and you have never dropped any electronic device you have ever owned.
You don't have to keep reading.

For the rest of us, the occasional fumble and save (or miss) is commonplace. My first valuable electronic item was my college graduation gift of a digital camera. Prior to this, I'd purchase disposable film cameras, have them developed and pay the extra few dollars for a backup disc of the photos.

I remember the horror when I first dropped it. My driveway is asphalt and the chip in the plastic was less than comforting. Still, it survived. That was not the first fall, but there were only a few. (which is why it came with a wrist strap that I should have used faithfully)

My first cell phone was also a fall risk. When I first purchased an actual smartphone, I purchased a cover that would protect it as well as a screen protector. The cover has some significant wear and tear, but the phone is remarkably nice.

This past September I upgraded to the Iphone 5 when the Iphone 6 was released. (read: I like cheap phones) My phone was $1. I was now operating system compatible with my family for the FaceTime (apple skype) option.
I had a cover on it, and rarely did it drop. In the car from a seat onto the slush mat, maybe, but the rubber was absorbent.
Today, though. Today was fateful. Last night my husband and I were discussing distractions and stresses and how we could try to eliminate some of those stresses that demand our attention. He said for us when the computer is on and we're aimlessly spending time on emails or newsfeeds or notifications, it can add stress. He suggested the access on my phone might be adding to my stress.

This morning? I accidentally knocked the phone off my bathroom counter to the floor. It landed squarely on its back. About a three foot drop onto a tile floor. It slapped. There was no bounce, no glance, just a straight back flop. The sound was ominous and when I picked it up, 2/3 of the screen was no longer normal. It was striped and semi-black and would not respond to my touch.

The phone store said without the phone insurance (dollar phone?), they didn't have a replacement option for me that was inexpensive. So, I'm back to my old smartphone. It's a lot less convenient to check email or notifications, to tweet, and it says there's not enough room for Instagram. The 3.2 megapixel camera isn't exactly an Instagram quality lens, when you think about it.

So today? I was phone-free for a while. Until I had time to activate old faithful. And it really did lessen my load of stress. I couldn't call or text people, but, there was a freedom in that.

Remember when if you weren't home, they had to leave a message and wait for your reply? Somehow in our age of instant availability, we have put some serious stress on ourselves. "If I don't respond right away, I am responsible for their feelings!!" Ding! Chime! Chirp!

It would do us good to be in a no-reception area at least once a week and just allow ourselves some peace and quiet. This is why the shepherd leads us beside still waters. To hear that soft water sound that soothes us.

So, though I'm sad to have lost the ability to take great photos in the instant they occur, I'm going to be spending less data, less money, and less time with the digital noise. My people will get more of my attention.

God has spared my phone on other days, but in His wisdom, I think today He let it fly. And I thank Him for it.

Sincerely,
~Tammy

photocredit