Saturday was a horrible day.  It was supposed to be a fun, relaxing “me” day where I go out and do stuff just for me and by myself and feel good about everything.  It turned into a bag of awful.

First, I was running behind schedule for a class at the gym that started at 9:30.  So while I was home, I got changed into my swimsuit (it was a water class) and threw some clothes on over it while I got the rest of my gym bag ready to go.  That way, as soon as I got to the gym, I could just throw off my clothes really fast into a locker and jump in the pool.

Which is exactly what I did.

Which is exactly what started the ruin of my day.

I keep my phone in my sideboob a lot.  iPhones don’t like it when you go in the pool with them.  All in all, it was submerged for less than a minute… I realized I had my phone in my swimsuit right about when I got boob-deep.  So I got out of the pool, put my phone in a towel and continued with the rest of the class, watching the clock the whole time.

After I got out of the gym, I went down to Rite Aid in the same shopping center and got a bag of rice and put my phone in it.  That’s what you do with wet electronics, you put it in a bag of rice to dry out.

Me and Alejandro during happier times.

I’ve had a cell phone for many years now.  Probably since 2000 or 2001?  I’ve had a smartphone since I had a T-Mobile Sidekick in 2005, graduated to a Blackberry then finally reached the bigtime and got an iPhone a year ago.  Mike gave it to me for my birthday.  That’s part of the reason I feel so badly about this – I ruined one of the best gift’s I’ve ever gotten.

I’ve really been beating myself up about this because I am so diligent about taking care of my things!  I really care about my stuff, not to sound materialistic, but I value my things.  I treat my things well.  I had a good case for my phone so that if I ever dropped it, that it would still be protected.  I had a protective film for the screen so it didn’t get scratched.  I value things that are mine, that are gifts, or things I’ve worked hard to get.  I didn’t have a lot growing up, so I truly value and take care of things that are mine.  I feel extra stupid for being so thoughtless when I lecture other people that they need to take better care of their things.

I sent my precious Alejandro off to an iPhone repair service that specializes in water damage, so I hope they’re able to fix it.

It’s been 5 days without my phone.  When I’m laying in bed watching TV and want to Google “Was that Rumer Willis on Workaholics?” (but come on, I’d know that chin from a mile away, it was definitely Rumer Willis) I actually have to get up and go to my computer and check.  When I want to pay for my Starbucks, I actually have to bring in money or my Starbs card into the store instead of just scanning my barcode in the app.  When I need to snark on someone’s new hairdo that I saw on Ye Olde Facebook Towne, I can’t text my up-to-the-minute opinion to Jaclyn; I have to write her an e-mail or send her a FB message and HOPE she receives it soon. I have to think of entire sentences or paragraphs and make my communication meaningful when I e-mail someone now instead of just texting them a picture of my cat.  When I’m in the bathroom… well… now I have to either sit and stare, check out that magazine that’s been in there for 2 months or read the back of a bottle of lotion.

Not having a phone has been an eye opener of how much I am truly addicted to it.  I’ve been legitimately depressed.  I feel so lost.  Is it the instant gratification of having answers and resources right at my fingertips that I miss?  Or is it the narcissistic instant gratification of “look at me, listen to what I have to say, everything I do is precious” aspect of social networking?  Not everything I think is important or nice… might as well shut my trap for a little while (as I sit here blogging about it, the irony is not lost on me).

I’ve been so disconnected from things.  The only time I receive communications from people now are when I check my e-mail, Facebook or Twitter.  I’ve missed out on things.  Anyone text or call me?  I have no idea. While I was out during the weekend, I missed having my phone and Facebook and everything right at the palm of my hand.  I found out late on Sunday night that a former classmate passed away.  I was and am very sad… it is a shame… losing someone so young, only 30.  I wasn’t close with him, I knew him in school and we talked occasionally, but it is still sad.  It’s one of those moments where you can’t help think about your own life, how all our time is short.  It was also an instance of… what if I was closer to him?  I know it sounds  selfish when I put it like that.  I don’t mean to say that being my friend can be the difference between life and death, but none of us know our butterfly effect.  Never be afraid to reach out a hand in friendship to someone.  You have nothing to lose from that.  All our time here is short.