Yes, you read the title correctly.
You can emphasize different words, if you would like:
cellphone-less for a month or cellphone-less for a month.
Either way, the situation was the same.
In today's post, I want to share how it happened and lessons learned from being without a cell phone for a month.
First, how did this happen?
It happened because I put off changing out my Galaxy S9. The retired guy had gotten me a newer phone, a S22, back in December. I'm on the road to another town 3 days a week and only home 2 work days of the week. The bottom line? I procrastinated.
This June we took almost a 2 week vacation. It was on this vacation that the battery in the S9 started overheating. Sometimes it was good. Other times it would shut off. Thankfully, this happened toward the end of the vacation.
I say thankfully, because a cellphone isn't just a phone for me. It's a camera, a calendar, it has email, social media, it can help you when traveling, etc.
I had my tablet on the trip, so I could do a few things.... calendar, emails, social media. One can also take photos, but the quality isn't as good.
I asked the retired guy to take quite a few pics for me at the end. :)
Traveling-- we were able to use the retired guy's phone for boarding passes, checking in, etc. That was good.
Oddly enough, from the beginning, I was able to "let go". Truthfully, I had no choice. Right?!?! I mean if the phone is dying and not usable, then one has to let it go. I guess I could have held on to anger and frustration at the inconvenience, but I didn't. I found it fairly easy to let go.
We got back home on a Saturday morning. I took it to a phone store. Because of the battery not being stable enough, they couldn't help. They referred me. That place said I had to send it off. That didn't sound like a good solution to me.
Monday morning, when I turned it on briefly, it didn't blink, everything was good. I decided to find a local place there in Dalton. I took it. They said they could transfer everything to the "new" phone. However, even with a new battery, they weren't able to accomplish the job. They didn't charge me anything and did their best with the systems they have. After having my phone for 2 weeks, they referred me.
I took the phone to the place they referred me. He said it could be 2-3 weeks. I didn't flinch. By then, I was really used to not having the phone. He fixed it in a week-- everything transferred. I was really hoping to keep contacts, notes, my Dad's voice on audio and a few other things. EVERYTHING was on the updated phone.
I picked it up last Monday, July 28th. I had been without a phone pretty much since June 21st.
That's a new record for me. One I don't really want to "beat".
I missed LOTS of calls and texts during that down time. I knew I would. Thankfully, a more important call came through and there was a message from Social Security for me. That's a different story, but I'm glad that was there.
When I first realized it could be WEEKS without the phone, I let people know I had landline access. Yes, we still have a landline at home. And, I have one at work and my Mom's house. So, if someone REALLY wanted to talk, I could. Up until this experience, I have wondered about keeping a landline. I now believe a landline is a life-saver. It's a great back up.
I guess that's one lesson learned.
Other lessons learned from this forced technology fast?
I got used to not being able to text people for quick access/information. In other words, I learned how much I relied on texting for communication. I have gotten to where I prefer it to phone calls for quick communication.
I wasn't able to chat with people on the phone on my commutes to Dalton and back. I used to have weekly conversations with people.
I learned that the tablet DOES take pictures, just not as good as a phone. I mean, I knew it took pictures, but there is a difference in the camera besides the output. It's a slightly more bulky way of accomplishing the goal. I think that's what I missed the most. Being able to take photos. Contemplative photography is one of my spiritual practices and I wasn't able to do it easily.
I learned that because I had to use my tablet for emails and social media, that I didn't check them as often. Rather, I checked a few times during the day.
I was able to communicate with people through messenger on FaceBook and Instagram, in addition to the landlines I mentioned.
Now, where that got a little tricky was when I had appointments to confirm. I called my spiritual director the day before we were to meet, to let her know I couldn't text so I was checking in. We have been using text since I started meeting with her in 2009. I text the day before to make sure it's still good for us to meet. If it's not for some reason, she lets me know and we reschedule. When you are in a pattern like that, it feels odd to call and leave a message. But it worked.
I also had another appointment I needed to confirm. I sent a FaceBook message to confirm it. That worked too. I used email to confirm another appointment that is usually confirmed by text message.
These examples was what had become the normal way of doing things, but it worked.
I learned to be creative and use the other tools I had access to for communication, etc. If I knew the art of smoke signals, I might have tried that. :)
Oddly enough, I also had peace through this experience. That surprised me a bit. On one hand, it was freeing to not be tied to technology. On the other hand, it required changing my mindset. If I wanted to check in with the family on the way home to let then know I was running late, I couldn't. I couldn't call or text to see if groceries were needed, etc. My solution was to call them before I left the office in Dalton. That way, if anything was needed, they could tell me. Also, if I didn't make it home, they could look for me along the route.
Traveling without a cellphone on the roads is odd. I didn't want to go long distances, because what if I needed to call someone for some reason? Pay phones don't exist anymore.
I think the biggest lesson I learned is that cellphones are an incredible tool and resource, but I can live without it. Yes, it's true. It isn't easy or simple or convenient, but it is possible.
When I picked up my phone last Monday, I entered a new adventure. Many of the apps (applications) needed to be reset with passwords. OOPS. I don't have all those in my head. So, I've been resetting some of them.
For the most part, my contacts are there, but I have had to do one "who dis? new phone" on a text message. It was a colleague.
Since I have had my phone back for almost a week, I have noticed that I haven't just jumped back into old patterns. It isn't an extension of my body, at least for now.
I am back to taking some pictures and doing some reflective posting with it. I used the timer on it this morning to keep up with the banana bread in the oven while I'm outside writing.
As I've shared my experience and lessons learned, how about you?
How would you react to not having a cellphone for a month? What changes would you make to ensure communication with others as needed? What would/could you let go?
It's definitely a learning experience.
It has made me grateful for landlines and other forms of technology. It has helped me appreciate all a cellphone can offer.
Here is a post I made when I first found out I was going to be without a phone for a while:
July 5
My cellphone is still in a shop.
That means I probably won't have it until next week sometime (HOPEFULLY!). I have landlines at home, work, and my Mom's. I have email, FB messenger, and Insta messenger.
So, until I update otherwise, reach out to me via the above methods. I can send you my contacts, as needed.
And, YES! I had a phone like the one on the right many years ago. But it wasn't sunshine yellow. 
Peace,
D
When I got my phone back, I made this post:
As of today, my old S9 phone has been transferred to my new phone. I am up and running for cell phone calls and texts. I still have some things to work out, but I am no longer on my cellphone fast. It was an interesting month. More on that in a blog post later.
Spoiler alert--- there is a peace and quiet that comes from not being able to connect to technology. 
I have leaned that technology is a great tool, resource to have. However, we can live without it for a time. Did I miss some of its benefits? Yes. Did I have to adjust how I did things and let go of things I couldn't do? Yes. Did I survive? Yes. I might even say I thrived.
Peace on the journey,
Deb
P.S. I didn't include every lesson I learned or every thing I learned to live without. This post is an overall view of the experience.
