Today, while walking along Abbott Kinney in Venice, my phone died. You know the feeling, yes? Alone and chargerless, that tiny 1% battery icon had been staring me down for about twenty minutes and I knew the end was near. But as my phone clicked off, those white sideways dashes on my iPhone spinning and waving me a goodbye, something else clicked on in my brain. It was awesome...
Sleeping Phone. Awake Senses. I notice that when my phone is really and truly dead, or let's call it sleeping, taking a techie nap, my brain functions a bit differently. In a gloriously refreshing fashion.
For example. Today I was out and about, in Venice, strolling along Abbott Kinney, early to meet up with a friend. I popped into Tom's Roasting Company and ordered a small soy chai to go. And instead of pulling out my phone as I waited for my drink, since it was sleeping, I smiled and made eye contact with faces whizzing past me in the crowded coffee shop.
The sitting area out back at Tom's was packed with coffee drinkers with their laptops pulled out, eyes glazed over staring at those wide, glossy screens. I was having a bit of tech-envy. Those lost looks on their faces, in internet dreamland. But tech-less me. I just stood there, and took it all in. The scene.
The two guys up front, huddled over the bar, perched on wooden bar stools, laughing and sipping coffee out of sturdy to-stay mugs. The girl with a fluffy scarf, waiting in line, chatting with the cashier about what she should order, tea or coffee. The way the barista oh so elegantly poured the creamy caramel colored lattes tall and slowly. And the way the steam wafted from the freshly poured paper cups like a breathy beach fog of coffee bean bliss.
My drink was up and I held my cup with both hands as I took my first sip. Spicy and warm, creamy, frothy, perfect.
Without a seat to be found in Tom's, I popped out onto the street and strolled, just absorbing the air, the sounds, the sky, the people. Sipping my chai with care. A brisk late afternoon wind tangled my hair and I watched how the grey, moody clouds swirled overhead, a storm about to break. Vibrant pink and blue colors on a building, cool etched black drawings on another. The incredibly vivid and diverse textures of each gust of wind - soft and milky - cold and brisk. Subtle aromas wafting from the restaurants.
I wandered into stores, paused on street corners - head up and alert, listened to bits and pieces of conversations on the sidewalks.
Phone free, my senses whipped into shape, they came alive.
And no, this isn't the first time I have been phoneless and intrigued by the freedom from that. But it is the first time I am choosing to write about it!
And yes, this "alertness" or "mindfulness" thing can happen with my phone ON. But something about that phone being off, clicks everything into clear, sensory shape, instantly.
I finished my stroll just in time to find my friend. I somehow made it there without even a clock to glance at. Our brains are pretty cool technology!
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Is this post overly dramatic? Slightly silly? No way. I know I am not alone. Seriously, just reading this, where is your phone? In your hand, by your side, under your pillow? You know who you are. Just a few years ago, I used to think people who "slept with their Blackberries" were an odd bunch - a crazy workaholic type who really needed a long vacation, yoga class, green smoothie and a bit of a wake up call on life. I mean, geez. Such phone addicts! Ha.
...But now I sleep with my iPhone on my nightstand, so that isn't much different, is it?
And I look around on street corners and everyone is under the spell of those glossy bright screens.
My challenge to you: once or twice this week let your phone die. Let it. Not at the end of the day, but at the beginning, or simply "forget" to bring it with you for one day. Just let the darn thing die, without a charger to help it.
See how different you feel. What senses come alive. What personality traits of yours awaken, what details do you notice in the scenes that paint your view.
What do you see when the noisy and endlessly fascinating world on your phone, in the palm of your hand, goes to sleep for a while. That noisy world on that glossy bright "retina display" is glorious, but so it the world right in front of you.
Silly thing is, as I am writing this post, I keep thinking, "Shoot! It would be so nice to have a photo from today, of the sky and the street I walked down." ... but I guess that would defeat my point entirely, I think. I guess, or I hope, my words brought you a vivid enough picture, sans technology, of the scene.
Maybe not even all the megapixels in the world can compare with the photographs we can take with our minds, if we just pause and take it all in.
And be mindful.
The top photo was taken after my friend allowed me to use her portable charger .. and of course the first thing I did when my phone was charged up was snap a photo of our drinks. Of course.
The other post photos were taken on random strolls around town ... with my cell phone. So yes, some beautiful things do come from phone use! It is a constant balance between beauty and technology bliss vs. overuse and addiction.
I want to know! Do you have a serious relationship with your phone? Do you ever give it a breather and notice a difference? What are your tips to balance your wellness life with your technology life?
ps. Thank you Heidi for the portable charger so I could snap the lovely Intelligentsia Coffee Photo at top 🙂
updated 5/2017
Angie says
Mindfulness and phone use are both things I have been thinking about a lot. I like to think I am not so absorbed in my phone, but I know I can be better.
Jo @ Including Cake says
Love this! Yes you are being dramatic but rightfully so as we all need a kick sometimes when glued to out phones mindlessly. I love how alive I feel when mine dies, like a huge weight lifting from my holders YET the irony is that even though I know how good that feels I still rarely allow it to happen. 😉
RockMyVeganSocks says
I am one of those weirdo people that basically use my phone for the maps app so I don't get horribly lost (which I still tend to do). I hardly look at it... I like people watching. It's fun =) Oh and I have a book (an actual, physical book) on me almost all the time. Beautiful pictures Kathy!
protisystem says
Awesome Photography skills Katty.Thanks for sharing great moment.
GlutenFreeHappyTummy says
what a great post! and your photos are stunning!
Heidi Nazarudin says
You have amazing photography skills Kathy. So great meeting you over coffee in Abbot Kinney and excited about the *event* !!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Heidi! Yes it was a fun afternoon .. break from the office! Abbott Kinney is a fun little stroll.
Mrs. D. says
I have yet to "upgrade" my phone to any sort of smart phone, despite my husband's numerous offers to find me a good one. I just like keeping my phone calls and texts separate from everything on the computer (email, etc.). When I want to check the internet, I'll get on my laptop. Otherwise, it's really nice to be disconnected. Love your thoughts on "mindfulness." 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Good for you haha. My sister is the same way and she JUST upgraded to an iPhone and I was shocked! I do love being able to iMessge her now though.
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
I have to echo Nicole- Your writing is amazing and this really made me reconsidr my current relationship with my iphone. Okay, that just sounded weird but my reliance on it!
Kathy Patalsky says
Haha that did sound hilarious.. But we DO all have strange and personal relationships with our technology .... as weird as that sounds. And thank you! 🙂
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com} says
Kathy, you are such a talented writer and this post definitely didn't need the photos! I really love this quote of yours:
"Maybe not even all the megapixels in the world can compare with the photographs we can take with our minds, if we just pause and take it all in."
Awesome! I'm so dependent on my phone for work and play (it sits next to me all day like a little pet lol). You've just inspired me to maybe let go of it 'just a little' and see what happens!
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh yay! Thank you so much Nicole! 🙂 And that is a good analogy. My cell phone is indeed my third pet. I need to make sure he is charged and ready to go, stays out of the water, isn't dropped or mishandled and updated when need be.
Sandra Vungi says
I have developed a pretty unhealthy relationship with my iPhone. It's the first thing in the morning. I can barely keep my eyes open when I am already looking through my e-mails etc. But sometimes I just make like 2 days where I am not allowed to use any social media, only check my inbox for a few times 😀 These are always the best days. I should do that more often!!
Kathy Patalsky says
Yes, I feel like I need to cut back on my in-bed use of my phone. Scrolling through Instagram as my first or last event of the day is not a good thing. But awareness is the first step, right? 🙂
Mary says
I actually have TWO cellphones. One for work, one personal. And they are both sitting on my desk right now. I looove to leave them behind and "forget" them. I leave the work phone in my car or in my desk because if I am not at work I do not need to be answering work calls or emails. Personal phone? that's a bit harder. I try to forget it as often as I can, and my friends and I will often pile them up in the middle of the table, anyone who reaches for their phone during dinner/coffee/whatever has to pay the bill. That helps 😉
Kathy Patalsky says
Um that is the most AMAZING thing I have ever heard of. I am stealing your phone pile - bill pay idea! And I totally know which of my friends will be paying the bill quite a lot! 🙂
Mary says
It has helped SO much. My friends and I actually sit around and hang out and chat. Its weird and great hahaha
Aimee Brimmer says
Great post! I actually don't own a phone. Sadly, most people are shocked when I tell them that. I feel I got along perfectly fine prior to them being popular and get along just fine without one now. 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Good for you listening to your own needs and not hopping on a bandwagon 🙂
cindy chan says
i once forgot my phone at home and even though i worried about not getting calls from agents about new contract jobs....it felt strangely wonderful. Really very freeing
Kathy Patalsky says
yes exactly 🙂 you go from panic to euphoria
Julia Ralston says
Thanks for this post. I think we all need to be reminded that the phone is not the center of our universe. Yes, we live in a different time now, where the convenience of having this mini-computer, because that is what it is, makes what we have been lead to believe, to make life easier. Friends, work, family can reach you easier, we can surf the net take pics, etc. but really how many times a week do we look up, as you did, and actually see life happening? Call me old school, but I still have a flip phone and use it minimally. I refuse to let my life get too busy.
Kathy Patalsky says
you are welcome! "I refuse to let my life get too busy" good call. The chaos of today and technology can take over if you are not careful!
John Hartil says
Yeah....I make a point of turning my phone off when we are out and about on family time. If we are up in the hills there is nothing I could do
Kathy Patalsky says
Ha! Good point. "No Service" can be a GOOD thing! love that point John.
Patricia says
I use my phone as [gasp!] just a phone! People are way too busy disconnecting in the real world because they are way too busy paying attention to people who aren't there to actually have a conversation with. It's a lot more fun talking to people in person or over the phone than it is via a Facebook IM. I don't text people, either, and I have texting blocked. If you want to tell me something, call me or email me. I'm worth a phone call, and so are the people I call. Everyone knows I'm not on text, and they deal with it. They dealt with it years ago before it was even an option, too, and life went on just fine.
Kathy Patalsky says
haha 🙂
Stacy Lingle says
I love your reflections Kathy! I too have found how much I actually love when my phone dies. So funny, isn't it! 🙂 Seeing how much different I feel (calm, tuned into what is around me) I have been trying to have "no phone" times - putting my phone upstairs while my hubby and I are cooking dinner, not taking it on walks even though I love to have music at times. And I actually tell myself "this is a disconnected time to be enjoyed", which makes it all the sweeter. It's become like a "mini retreat" for me each day.
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Stacy! I like that a "mini retreat" for the day. yes please!
Polina says
Love this post so much! I adore my time free from the phone and it makes me sad to see that sometimes I spend more time with it than I would like. It disconnect me with the real world. I don't want to dismiss that fact that our phones and other things connect us with real people through the virtual world, but we sometimes tend to start live in that virtual world instead of let it be just the connector. Sorry if it's a mess...but you inspire me to be even more thoughtful about my time with internet and phone. (Though it's definitely won't mean my time with you and your site;))
Kathy Patalsky says
thank you Polina! haha yes, blog time, like everything, in moderation!
Jaenell says
Thanks for sharing! I am a PR Manager by day and a food blogger by night, and find that my career and passion do not let me be too far from my phone -- it's a constant need to know what's happening, where and with who -- and to share it. I'm often nostalgic for the days when I lived and worked abroad in a developing country -- and for two years, I got one phone call a week from my mom, but otherwise my rudimentary phone remained turned off in my room somewhere while I was out living my life. When I got back to the US, I was often criticized for forgetting my phone aaallll the time -- at a restaurant, in my car for two days. Now, I'm back into the bad habit of clinging to it, and inevitably comparing my life to the lives of my friends, which is never healthy..... My fiance and I make a concerted effort to leave our phones in our pockets when we're out together, to just enjoy each other's company. It's strange that it's something we have to TRY to do.
Pat Clinton says
As an artist I cannot allow media to distract me. I drink all around me in constantly, part of my expanding visual experiences for art reference.
Kathy Patalsky says
ahhh and THAT is why I would like to be an artist, full time, nonstop. drink life in without apologies.
Kathy Patalsky says
It is SO strange. I think the fact that we have to force ourselves to hide or put away our phones just shows how REAL the cell phone/smart phone addiction can be! I guess it is not a truly hurtful addiction, but we are all brand new to this way of life, so I am so interested to see how this culture of technology evolves over the next ten years and beyond.