It is time to unplug and reconnect

I hate cell phones. We have two. We use them when we leave home. The rest of the time we have trouble finding them.

The reason I hate them is that they seem to be a sign of our inability to be alone with ourselves for even a few minutes.

But the other day, my husband ran into the post office while I waited in the truck and I saw his cell phone sitting there and I picked it up and wondered who I could call.

I instantly put it down and realized, I had become one of THEM. Those people who couldn't spend a few minutes in silence, doing absolutely nothing.

It was very scary because I also realized I'd become really bad about having my laptop on my lap while I watched TV. The moment I sat down in the evening, I grabbed the laptop and surfed the web or played word games.

I was one of those people who could no longer just sit quietly without something to entertain me.

For a writer, I think that is very bad. We're daydreamers. It is hard to daydream when you're reading your emails or talking on your cell or surfing the Web.

I think as a nation we are too connected to each other. When was it that we needed to always be in touch? Do we really have to carry a phone all the time? Or be connected to the Internet 24/7?

I remember when we didn't even have a phone at our house on the lake. If someone wanted us, they drove out. Even when we had a phone at our home outside of Bozeman, we hardly ever used it. My mother didn't have it stuck to her ear.

It scares me that we are losing our abilities to just sit down quietly and visit without constantly checking our cell phones or taking calls. Have you noticed that people in a restaurant will often all be on their phones instead of visiting with the people they are having a meal with.

Even joggers and bikers are seen with a phone stuck to their ears. I have friends who confess to being "totally lost" without their cell phones and there is nothing more annoying than lunching with someone who has to constantly check their cell phone.

I don't think it's healthy that we should be "on call" all the time. Nor do I see us being a national that communicates better because of the technology. As if being on call all the time isn't bad enough, now we have texting which removes the human connection even further.

We are like sheep. Sit in an airport terminal for twenty minutes and listen to the phone calls and you'll realize that these people aren't passing important information. I remember when people used to visit with the person sitting next to them instead of calling their BFF and giving a blow by blow of what it is like to be waiting for a plane.

It shocked me the other day that I couldn't just sit there for a few minutes without thinking about picking up the phone and calling someone. I thought of friends who call when they're driving. Because they suddenly had an urge to talk to me? Or because they are bored? Or just feeling too alone? Remember when people used to just drive and that was enough?

The other day was a wake-up call. I realized it is time to turn off the TV, put away the computer and take a walk all by myself. Or just sit and stare out the window as the last days of summer pass. Or actually sit with my husband and talk without a computer on my lap.

It's not too late to get in touch with my surroundings and the people in it. I would hate to forget how to daydream or be alone with my thoughts.

And if all else fails, I could just curl up on the porch with a good book. One made out of paper that I can turn down the corners just for nostalgia's sake.