I spent my day today without my phone. Whenever I mention this to people (as I occasionally forget my phone at home) they act surprised. It seems like a sin these days to live an entire day without your phone.

But I always live my day refreshed, knowing that whomever is trying to reach me simply cannot.

I’ve always resisted smartphones for as long as I could.

I bought my first smartphone sometime in 2013, right when I moved from my family home and was cut off from the family plan. I bought the cheapest one available because the Metro PCS that I signed up at didn’t have any regular cellphones in stock. (Even writing cell phone seems like an archaic thing to write, phones are now simply called smart phones.) The phone I bought was a white Huawei Ascend I believe.

I did not like that it did not fit in my front pocket.

After buying it I treated it like I treated my other phones. I left it in my backpack, checked it 2-3 times a day, I did not install any apps on the phone.

I spent my work day today entirely productive. I finished some projects ahead of time, started on some miscellaneous tasks, clocked out and went home. It may not sound like a monumental thing to some, but we live in a world full of advertising and distraction. Objects are designed to inspire necessity despite being essentially inessential to life.

But I’m older and that thought seems very cold and blasé.

The current trend of thought about life and technology seems to be about efficiency and purpose. Things that serve no purpose in bettering our life are marked for culling. And the thought I form is “who decided the essential needs to enjoy one owns life?”

In this subjective life, few things are truth still, namely, life and death. But even those truths are being challenged as technology ascends to a purpose we’ve never dreamed of.

When I got home I checked my messages and social media, pleased to see that few people tried to contact me today. I suppose someone else would feel as if their life is unimportant, but I saw it as other people are busy enjoying their life to the best of their ability. That’s all I can hope for.