Luke Fosburg, our Customer Care Director, recently went through a huge change in his life. Luke sold his iPhone 4s in preparation to upgrade to the iPhone 5, which wouldn’t be released for another month. He lost communication with the outside world, now being unable to talk or text, function with his apps, and listen to music in his Accord. He has had a wide variety of feelings through his journey. This is his amazing tale of survival…
I would like to preface this story with a brief explanation of why I went an entire month with no cell phone. I would consider myself to be a connoisseur of technology who needs the latest gadgets. With rumors of the iPhone 5 release around the corner and its capabilities with the 2013 Honda Accord, I used my understanding of simple economics to make a hasty decision. I was going to sell my iPhone 4s while the value was high. Soon enough, my phone was on its way to the other side of the country and I was left with nothing…no phone…no communication to the outside world. Most of all, I was going to miss the Bluetooth® in my Accord. I had not planned on what I would do once I shipped off my phone and was reduced to using a broken flip phone found in the back of a kitchen junk drawer.
Upon activating this ridiculously old device, it became apparent that any and all use of this phone would present a substantial challenge, more than likely the reason the previous user chose to upgrade. With an inability to make outgoing calls or send SMS messages, I was limited to the hope that someone would call at the right time so I could make necessary communication. With a brief call to customer service, they told me that a phone number change should fix the outgoing call problem so I gratuitously obliged. With my new phone number I was on my way to a temporary inconvenience that would be soon followed up by pure bliss as the new owner of an iPhone 5. I needed to let all my friends know my new number. As I was calling my wife to let her know all was well in the universe, I discovered that all my contacts had been sent cross country with my iPhone.
Of course this gem of a phone was not capable of syncing contacts with any server such as Gmail or iCloud, so again, I was lost in the midst of a barren wasteland of non-communication. Vaguely remembering her number, I quickly made an outgoing call which as fast as had been dialed, returned an error graciously letting me know this device was not capable of completing such a task.
With no contacts, no way to call, and no one knowing my new phone number, I threw the phone down in disgust and made the decision. There would be no phone at all until I was able to get my prized new iPhone 5. The first day without my window to the world was unbearable. I felt as though I was being punished for a lifetime of crimes with the only worse fate possible being euthanization. I had lost all contact with my Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and most importantly all the apps which run my life, I mean make my life better…
The following week was very difficult. My 16 month old daughter was venturing into the real world for the first time as my wife returned to work. Without constant contact with the daycare I was forced to hope and pray that all was well with my little girl. For the first time in my existence I actually referred to the pictures of my family purposely framed in the corner of my cluttered desk. Wow, “I should update these” I thought to myself as I surveyed the antiquated images covered with a fine layer of dust. The phone had been the only picture frame I needed and the physical pictures were just some type of a forgotten shrine amidst the stacks of paper on my desk that deny my attachment and obsession with work.
With the weekend at hand, I felt the typical Friday enlightened feeling that most of us get and it greatly overshadowed any remaining dissonance the cell phone dilemma was causing. Mid-way through the weekend during some personal reflection time, I realized that I was able to have personal reflection time….WHAT??? The fact that I did not have a cell phone had subliminally given me more free time. Instead of filling my spare minutes and seconds checking my bank account, updating Facebook, and texting; I just stopped. I stopped to reflect on the day and week behind me and to process the flood of information that had been pouring into my life over the last week. As I stared at the wall I noticed that it needed painted, and the cobwebs cleaned from the corner. “When was the last time I looked around my own house?” I thought to myself. What else have I been missing? A couple of quick calculations struck me with a sudden realization that if I spent one minute every hour not on my phone I gain back 700,800 minutes to my life. That’s 11,680 hours, 487 days, or 1.33 years. Wow what a breakthrough! What could I do with an extra year and a half just tacked on to my life? This was the breaking point for me.
PART 2
Over the course of the next two weeks, I slept better with no phone next to me on the charger wondering if someone had sent me an sms or posted something on my Facebook wall. My body used its natural alarm clock instead of relying on the phone to let me snooze my way to a hectic, rushed morning filled with angst and road rage. For once I was able to go uninfluenced by the outside forces in my life working against me. No longer would these problems have an outlet to reach my psyche and cause distress in my life!
This feeling continued for the next two weeks as the connections with my friends slowly died out. I caught myself wondering if any of them would ever forgive me for not responding to their every message and request. I noticed how much closer to my family I was. Each day after work I spent my time playing with my 18 month old daughter and just talking with my wife. My time was spent relaxing and growing closer to my family.
Finally the day came. Apple made the announcement that the iPhone 5 would be released in a week and a half. With an extreme level of excitement, I watched as all the amazing new features of the new iPhone were revealed to the world. I thought to myself how great my life would be again once I got this incredible new device; or would it? All the great new freedom and extra time that had presented itself in my life were competing against my inner need and desire to have the latest and greatest technology. Needless to say I decided to pursue the latter. In anticipation of the release I decided to make life easy for myself and pre-order the iPhone5. Shortly after doing so I discovered that the pre-orders were to be delayed at least one week after the release….THIS WOULD NOT WORK!
I immediately began plotting how I would be able to get the iPhone 5 as soon as possible. After consulting with some friends at the Verizon store I decided I would wait in line early in the morning in order to get my precious new device. As the day approached I tossed around the idea of what time would be best to arrive at the store to wait in line. I sought advice from friends, family, the internet and anywhere else possible. It was official; I would arrive at the store at 4AM. The night before the release I was unable to get any sleep. I stayed awake watching the lines grow at the Apple stores in NYC and other big cities around the world. I thought to myself, what if 4AM is too late. What if there are no phones left? What if I don’t get one? I started to panic…. 12:30 am on September 21st, 2012 was a breaking point for me. I threw on some clothes, grabbed a blanket and folding chair, rushed out the door and jumped into my sleek new Honda Accord coupe. Speeding down the highway in the pitch black I was sure to be early enough to make sure I had a phone reserved for me. As I rounded the corner to Peach street I craned my neck to see the parking lot hundreds of yards up the street…. nothing….light….was there people there already??
I arrived to find a dark vacant parking lot. The lights I saw were coming from the 24 hour McDonalds drive-thru across the street. “Great” I thought. I will be the first in line and will be able to get a phone. I decided to drive across the street to get a #1 and large coffee from McD’s. The food was terrible. Obviously cold from a long wait under the heat lamps, I choked down the rancid burger. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was being that I had not eaten dinner or lunch the day before. As I sat in the parking lot I started to chill. I was glad I had the blanket to wrap myself in. The coffee tasted great and was a pleasure to drink in my freezing car wrapped in a hand knitted blanket my mother had made for me last Christmas. As I finished the coffee I leaned the seat back and started to doze off. The sound of rain on the roof of my Accord was relaxing and soon put me to sleep. I made sure to set an alarm so I would wake to see the other people coming out early in the morning.
Riiiiiiiing…….Riiiiiiiiiing…. argh. My alarm woke me abruptly at 2:30 AM.I popped up my head and looked around. No one yet. I realized I could have gotten more sleep at home. Finally around 4AM a new Mercedes Benz pulled in with and older gentleman inside. We rolled down our windows despite the pouring rain and exchanged greetings and decided we would form a line with our cars in order to avoid the beating rain by standing outside the store.
At 5AM, more people arrived. 6AM, more people. Finally 7AM there were enough people we thought we should form a line outside the store. The rain had cleared and my sporadic sleep left me temporarily refreshed. We all waited outside the store exchanging stories about our previous phones and speculating about all the great features of the new iPhone 5 we all coveted so greatly.
Nothing mattered at this point, I was first in line and nothing could keep me from my beloved iPhone. As the employees arrived at the store they came out to greet us with coffee and doughnuts. They welcomed us and asked how long we had been waiting. Of course I was the only moron who waited the entire morning. Everyone laughed as I told them about my angst and what brought on the early morning drive to Erie.
The doors to the store opened shortly before 8 and we all filed into the store to get our hands on our new phones. My friend Brian had my brand new black 16GB iPhone waiting for me. He held it out for me to behold and I shouted, ”This thing is amazing!” Everyone in the store stirred and had the same remarks upon seeing their devices as well. With my phone activated and working like a well oiled machine I headed off to start my day. I knew this would be a long day running on very little sleep.
So here I am with my new iPhone. The device is spectacular. It does everything a person could ever need. Siri is my new friend after having lost all my tangible real-life friends. My connections are slowly but surely returning after many efforts on Facebook. I have now notified everyone of my number change and communication is returning to normal.
I will say that overall I notice I use my phone much less. I don’t rely on having it every minute of every day. If I accidentally leave it on the couch and head to work I don’t freak out. They say that 21 days breaks a habit. I have definitely become less reliant on my phone. My friends have come to expect that I may or may not respond right away when they send me a message. I have simply rearranged the priorities in my life. Each night is still spent with my family and each spare moment, enjoying the world around me. My advice, a cell phone is a valuable tool but don’t let it rule your life. Do not allow your life to slowly slip by while you are spending every spare minute worrying about what others are doing and saying. Spend time with the things and people that matter and most of all strive to gain wisdom and insight, for no greater things exist.
