New Phone

 

     A bit over three years ago I was dragged figuratively kicking and screaming into the smartphone era. I loved my little flip phone. It was small, compact and did just what I wanted it to do. It was becoming clear to me that I was going to have to have a smartphone as there were things I needed to do at work that just couldn't be done with my flip phone. The deciding factor was that our cell phone bill would go down if I would just embrace this new technology. 

   I was very reluctant. I had seen many people doing nothing but stare at their screens. They would walk down the street, eat in restaurants and attend worship services spending most of their time with their eyes firmly fixed on their screens. I had even seen teenagers riding bikes and texting. I called them phone zombies and I had no interest in becoming one.

   C and I found a a refurbished phone for a very good price. We set it up and I began to use it. I realized that I liked it. I enjoyed being able to text, read my emails and look at social media without having to go to my computer. I was introduced to Bitmoji, where I had my own little avatar that I could send to people with messages. It was fun. I could show pictures of my cats to people and take pictures of things on the spot. Best of all I could communicate with my Dad. (Who got a smart phone several years before I did.)

  There is of course, the inevitable downside. The smart phone that I was so happy with had run out of memory. Since things these days are meant to be disposable, I could not add more memory to my phone in order to use it. I was frustrated with this. Why couldn't I just add memory so I wouldn't have to go through the expense of a whole new phone that I probably would not like. Things that I used to be able to do and things that I wanted to keep on my phone I could no longer do. I couldn't even update it because there simply wasn't enough memory to do so. I was going to have to get a new phone. I was not happy.

   C had done some research and found a phone he thought I would like at what he considered to be a reasonable price. I thought it would be best to find another refurbished phone, but C thought it best to get a new one. I gave in. C called to make sure what I wanted was in stock. I had my choice of colours so I picked red. That way I'd have a fighting chance of finding the thing if I laid it down someplace. They had it.

   This week we went to get the new phone and to get a new upgraded phone for C. The first thing we had to do what change our phone plan. We would get a deal on the phones and a 20 dollar per month reduction in our bill. I was very ok with that.

   Then we went to the store to get the phones. The lady working there was Sadie and she was busy with another couple. We waited and waited and waited. I went off to look at things while we were waiting. 

  When I got back the other couple were discussing what they wanted to do. Sadie and C were talking. C told me that they didn't have any red phones and no other stores had them either. My choices were black or white. I chose white. I could find a red case to put on it. She gave us our paperwork and sent us to the cash register to pay for it. When we got to the cash register we realized there was a problem. She had charged us for two of the phones that C wanted, not the one that I wanted. We paid for C's phone and went back to the phone kiosk. Sadie was waiting on a third customer who had come to the counter. Clearly she needed a second person to help. We waited and waited again. After helping the third customer, she fixed her mistake and sent C back to the cash register to pay. I stayed at the kiosk partly because my feet hurt, I hadn't realized I was going to be on my feet for this long and to guard the phone we just bought so she wouldn't inadvertently give it to another customer. When he came back with my phone we waited and waited some more. She was helping the first couple.  While their phones were charging she helped us. She needed to take the Sim cards out of our old phones and put them in the new ones. Then she needed to do a Bluetooth transfer of information. I was worried, the transfer required a password that I didn't know. I had it written down and put it in a secure spot at home, but that didn't help me. Fortunately, C figured out my password. She was able to do all the transferring. All we needed to do was the final set up. We could do that at home.

   Two and a half hours after our arrival at the store, we left laden with boxes, paperwork, accessories and our new phones. We were hungry, irritated and footsore. After a pit stop to have a glass protector put on my screen we went to get some food. 

   Then we went to another store to find a case. I looked at the selection. There was every colour except red. I didn't want black or blue because I'd never find my phone at the bottom of my purse or work bag. I didn't want white because dirt would show on it. I finally settled for pink with sparkles. It was the only one I thought would be visible, but I didn't like it. It looked like something you'd give a two year old at a birthday party. By this time I was too tired to care.

   My new phone is a definite upgrade from the old one. It works faster and can do a few more things that my old one couldn't The only thing I don't like is the size. It's too big, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. Definitely need to find a new case.....