A Lady and Her iPhone

One of the small but noticeable things that I love about Kate is her lack of a cell phone. This may seem insignificant, given all her other qualities and great accomplishments, but upon research I could only find one picture of her with a cell phone.

This is a foreign concept for me, the girl who texts while walking through the aisles of the local Wal-Mart. I realized I am constantly connected. I wake up and check my e-mails. I sip coffee and check Twitter. I am constantly on this little rectangular box saying things like “Haha!” and “I don’t know.” I may follow the strictest text etiquette (Queen’s English!) but I am still texting. Constantly.

We never see Kate on her phone. We don’t even know what kind of phone she has. She never walks and texts. She doesn’t even have a Twitter. I think this is part of her ladylike elegance.

I came face-to-face with my constant connectivity when a very dear friend of mine left for an 18-month religious mission. I could no longer send her a quick text or post to her Facebook wall. All I can do is write letters, cards, and send care packages. I realized most of my relationships exist off of text messages. I only talk to two friends in actual, voice conversations – and one of them is my business partner (yep, The Duchess – we go one step further and have Diet Coke FaceTime dates).

What is up with that? When did phone calls, written letters, and coffee dates turn into “lol, that meme is so funny”? Based on these realizations, I thought of what Kate would do and from those thoughts, devise a plan.

I will tweet less. I know you guys care about how tired I am or how much I want a latte. Instead, I’m going to text a friend. I know, I know. But texting > tweeting. The other day, I wanted to tweet “I’m feeling so sad” and I would probably get two “feel better”’s in response. Instead, I texted our favorite person (again – The Duchess) and we talked about what was bothering me. A real, Queen’s English conversation about my friend leaving for 18 months. And I felt so much better.

I will call more. I will sit down in my comfy chair and call a friend. We can talk about our lives and catch up. There is something so therapeutic about chatting with a friend, something texting cannot accomplish. I have a weekly phone date with my friend, Shannon, and with our lives being so busy it is so nice to catch up, chat, and be reminded of what a wonderful blessing she is in my life.

I will put my phone away. Seriously, why do I need my phone in Wal-Mart? I can write grocery lists on paper from now on. No one will need my immediate attention in the nail polish aisle. I can focus on what’s important – pink versus plum – and have some time to think to myself.

I will seriously put my phone away. It will no longer be a security blanket. If I am walking alone, I will admire the trees, or the shoes of the girl walking near me. If I’m relaxing, I will enjoy the bad TV shows, the company of my furball, Princess Grace, or the sounds of my favorite songs. My phone is not an appendage.

These are small, simple changes but they will make a big difference in my world. I really think Kate would approve. So, from now on, you will rarely catch me with a phone in my hand. Perhaps when I’m home in my comfy chair, talking to Shannon or FaceTiming with Amanda. But not in Wal-Mart.