that ‘naked’ feeling….
Yeah, no, that’s not a picture of me…. (thank you Google Images)
I left home this morning without my iPhone. This is the first time since August 2005 that I have been without mobile connectivity, seriously. I don’t really know what happened, how I could have had such a mental lapse. I recognized my mistake as I was pulling out of my driveway, late for a meeting. What a dilemma, do I go back and get my lifeline security blanket window on the world, and be late? Or do I forge ahead, naked, empty handed, disconnected, alone, without back-up, unprotected, exposed, prehistoric?
I pressed on (mainly because I hate backtracking on anything).
I got to my meeting on time. I listened to the speakers. I participated in the discussion. I took notes. I attended the meeting physically as well as mentally. Strange feeling I have to tell you. (And, by the way, I did have a few cases of phantom vibrating – my forgotten phone ‘vibrating’ in my pocket where no phone was… sort of like the stories you hear about people who lose a limb but feel like it’s there). It was a successful and enjoyable meeting, with clear action items and everyone knowing what needs to happen. I wrote down my notes with a pen on a paper napkin – old school!
Then I had a breakfast meeting – but there was a little time in between… so I could run back home and retrieve my digital brain/soul/life. Or, I could go to the newsstand and pick up the newest edition of Psychology Today (a magazine I like a lot, but not enough to subscribe to). I got the magazine – analog version. Printed on paper!
My breakfast meeting was much the same as my earlier meeting – I actually was fully ‘present’, paid attention, contributed, thought about the topic, worked on a few ideas, collected my thoughts, and agreed to clear next steps. I ignored the phantom vibrating, the siren song of my phone which wasn’t there. The temptress of distraction…. And, at the restaurant where we were meeting, I walked out and actually looked the waitress in the eye and said ‘thank-you’ and she smiled. And, I spotted two friends who I hadn’t seen in several months, so I stopped to visit with them. Funny what you see when you’re looking up and around, not down at a screen.
And then I raced home – six missed calls, 20+ emails, assorted text messages… the relentless drumming of my life and work. (But, luckily, there were no life-threatening situations where my immediate response would have saved lives – whew!!!)
Wonder if I can get in some sort of habit of being more forgetful…??? Naaahhh!