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Last Monday I went in for my annual checkup at the VA, and because most medical offices ask you to turn off your phone, I clicked the “Do Not Disturb” button on my settings.
That meant the phone wouldn’t ring during my checkup.
I suppose it made life a little easier for the doctor, and I was trying to be helpful.
I do the same thing when I go to church. I set my phone to “Do Not Disturb” so it won’t ring during the middle of the sermon.
That would be embarrassing.
I grant you, it’s not a big thing.
But … after the doctor’s visit, I forgot to turn my phone back on.
For most of the week, I did not receive any phone calls. As in NONE. My phone followed my last instruction and did not disturb me with those ring tones.
I have to admit I wondered why no one called me all week.
That certainly wasn’t normal, but it made each day a little smoother, and I accomplished quite a few things without interruptions.
Towards the end of the week, I checked my phone history and noticed I hadn’t been forgotten by the world.
In fact, I had received dozens of calls — a few were highlighted as potential scams, but most were from people I knew. I just had no idea they called.
So, I turned off the “Do Not Disturb” function and rejoined the land of the living.
Now, once again, I am hearing that ring tone that tells me someone knows I am alive.
Then a horrible thing happened
As bad as my “Do Not Disturb” problem was, a few weeks ago, I had a much more serious concern.
It was morning and I was in a hurry. I grabbed my laptop, jumped in the car, did some errands on the other side of town, then settled into one of my writing spots at the Southgate Mall.
I set up and began typing.
I was well into the story I was working on, when I realized —
I left my phone at home.
I’m not joking.
I was sitting in the Scheel’s coffee shop in the Southgate Mall, and I did NOT have a phone.
Home was 4 1/2 miles away.
I was out in the world without a phone!
I’m sure you can imagine the stress I was feeling.
What if I needed to call someone?
What if someone needed to call me?
What if …
It was difficult to focus on my writing, but I stuck it out for a couple of hours before I headed back home.
I pulled into the garage, went into the house, grabbed my phone and put it in my pocket.
Life was restored.
How did I survive?
That terrifying experience made me think about when I was a kid growing up in Southern California.
Back then — I’m old, so back then is a very long time ago — no one had a cell phone.
There was no way to contact another person unless you could find a pay phone. and even then, you would need to have quarters or dimes or nickels in your pockets.
A pay phone was … well … never mind.
If you don’t know what a pay phone was, my description probably wouldn’t help you understand.
And if you did want to contact a person, that person had to be in a house where probably only one phone existed. We refer to it as a land line today. If they weren’t in that house, they wouldn’t even know you called.
But as I think back on those years, I can’t remember ever feeling nervous about not having a phone on my person.
Was I naive? Foolish? Or was that actually a better time to live?
“The baby bust and the gender gap” by Alex Berenson.
“A Shocking 3.4% of journalists are Republicans. Does it matter?” by Ken LaCorte.
“A Church Meeting is Now a Conspiracy” by Leif Le Mahieu.
Before I go, I’d like to share a blessing with you from the Old Testament.
“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (The Living Bible)
Until next time … be the reason someone smiles today
My Week in Do Not Disturb Mode