Cell Phone Independence

Late yesterday afternoon, I was running around the house multitasking.

I was trying to get my daycare family outside, to play out the remainder of the day. A half hour before I expected my day to end, a potential new daycare family was going to drop by to meet/interview me. The minute they left, I needed to run out the door to go do payroll for my bookkeeping job.

I ate supper at our snack time. I brushed my teeth and tried tending to all my needs before we went outside for the duration of the day.

My cell phone was tucked into my back pocket so I didn't forget it. In the second it took for me to realize going to the bathroom at 4:00 was not going to save me time because I would surely go again before I left the house at 6:00, it was too late.

My cell phone went for a swim in some "slightly used" toilet water (and I am not talking about cologne here).

Plop!

"OH NO!!"

Then I realized the state of the water its took a nose dive, so I actually rinsed my phone off in clear running water.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?!!" my brain yelled to the part of myself that was running on autopilot.

The next thing I knew, I was running to the rice container and burying my phone. Then I went outside and tended to my kids before I peeked my head in the door and asked my son to google what to do if you immerse your cell phone in water.

He took all the necessary precautions and I am pretty sure my phone may survive this near tragedy. But as I near the 24 hour mark of its rice bath, I am wondering if that is a good thing.

I have been hyper aware of my surroundings today. I cannot begin to count the moments where I simply sat still and listened/watched my day in progress. I was attentive to my day, my surroundings, the small wonders, the banter and my thoughts were so blissful.

I was not in hyper planning mode. I was in a "stop and enjoy the cell phone silence" mode. It was heavenly. It is heavenly.

Do you know the saddest part of this revelation?

The minute I felt my inner peace being restored, I wanted to blog about it. Or email someone. Or text my friend. Or talk on the phone.

I stopped myself in my tracks.

"ENJOY!!" is what my subconscious brain told my conscious self.

And I have.

That didn't prevent a splinter related accident as the kids played right outside the kitchen door as I tidied up our lunch. But it did wonders for my coping strategies.

I have been calm, cool and collected all day.

Without the distractions my cell phone provides me, I like "me" better.

I think the next time my phone goes for a swim, I should think twice. Maybe I should flush...