Lost are the times where we step out of our houses without our phones anymore. We might even go out nude, but never without the phone. It is such an integral part of our lives these days.
So yeah, yesterday I stepped out of home, for my first day at work in my new organisation without my phone. I felt so lost, basically like I had forgotten to breathe without my phone radiating on me.
And then I thought, why not watch what everybody is up to on their own phones while I am free my chains linked to the phone. So basically the whole of yesterday that i what i have been doing. I had a bunch 10 juniors with me and i watched them the whole day.
I was so nervous, how was I to spend the entire day without a phone. My major need for a phone, is to call and check on the whereabouts of my kids at home. Other than this, I jot down thoughts and waste the rest of my time trying to see what other people are up to on social media.
All of them were busy texting and making calls throughout the day. The rest of the time Instagram and Facebook took up their screens. Every vibration made them look at their phones, so what if those vibrations were an earthquake? They would end up dying in the earthquake looking at their phones I guess.
At lunch, in the dining area all i saw were huge groups of friends sitting together and having lunch. As soon as they sat down, there was loud chatters which later died down, not because these people were busy chewing their food, but because they were all looking into their phones unanimously.
I don't see anyone carrying valuables anymore, most of them just have their phones with them. Life has started revolving around phones and social media rather than human connections and empathy.
In trains, life is pretty much the same. As you look out of the train windows, i wouldn't say that all the sights are beautiful outside, but definitely most of them are worth looking at and admiring. Some women talk gossip about their friend's daughter, her married life and her illicit affairs. For hours on the end, their talks never run out of topics or rather people to discuss.
Others talking to their boyfriends, again hours on the end saying you say, you tell me and on and on. If everything else is finished then all they have to talk about is about their unborn children. I wonder when they will realise that the probability of them uniting is close to zero and life is never what you expect it to be.
And some find it better to watch a movie or television soap rather than spending time talking to people and eating time. I personally find it to be the best option to spend your time while travelling on the train especially when your journey is pretty long.
At the end of the day, I had to make a few calls. I had to inform my family that I was safe and i had to find out how my kids were managing at home especially because it was my first day away from them for such long hours.
I was thinking of show Beg, Borrow and Steal while I was contemplating my move to acquiring a phone. Stranger grandfather looked at me with a suspicious look, wondering how a girl of my age wouldn't have a phone on me. He did allow me to make a call home at the end of his interrogation.
Life is short, maybe too short to be spending all your time staring at the screen. Once in a while looking around could do you a lot of good. It can make you realise a lot of things and it can help you appreciate somethings that you always took for granted.
As I write this I see an aunty looking at me with a pathetic look, something that says about how our generation is wasting our time on the phone. Little did she realise that I am here proudly writing an article for my blog after ages. To that generation, which believes in every forward that comes on Whatsapp, it would make a whole lot of difference if you could believe in your children the same way.