Okay, today I reveal… my old school flip phone.
It does this:
I realized I was slightly embarrassed to pull this baby out of my purse to check the time or quickly text my sister some insanely funny thing that just happened. I would keep it inside my purse while texting, hidden away from all the leering young hipsters to my left and right. Not really. They don’t care or notice. But still, it made me realize I was truly embarrassed about my lack of updated technology.
Until.
This really cool older dude pulled out his old school flip phone in public and flaunted that thing with a confidence I admired. So next time, I’m doing the same.
It’s all in how you play it.
I had a flip phone forever – I think I was pretty late to the smart phone bandwagon. My husband bought me one because I used to just work four days a week, and I think he got tired of me calling him at work on Fridays when I was out with the girls and I wanted him to look up if something was open or to give me an address or directions or phone number. He was essentially my smart phone. 🙂
Now I can’t imagine not having it. I rarely text and I don’t walk around glued to the thing, but man oh man, I love mapping things and being able to find out information about places when we’re out and about. We also love to use it when we’re on road trips. Because we don’t really eat fast food (and there aren’t many veg options there anyway) we sort of make a game of finding cool places to eat just off the highway a bit. And I also love the traffic part – it’s so nice to see if the giant highway shutdown is 1/4 mile inconvenience or a 45 minute backup behind an accident. We’ve cut through many a cornfield to avoid some!
(and the camera!)
Still, no shame in a phone at all. Sorry I sort of rambled about my phone love!
I wouldn’t be ashamed at all, and that phone is kind of fancy flip… it slides! I think we’re at the point where anyone who wants a smartphone can have one, so it’s clearly a choice. Nothing to hide in the depths of your purse 😉 I admire your restraint, but also couldn’t live without my iPhone. I guess maybe if I had an iPad and carried that around. The convenience of always having an okay camera, always having directions and general computer access… I’m typing this on my phone right now. I’ve gotten much better about idly ‘playing’ on my phone since I have less time, but that can be nice on occassion too.
I got a new iPhone for Valentine’s Day and it’s thrilling… Once you go down that road, there’s no going back!
I had this exact phone until last year when I couldn’t take the ridicule (from my own family) anymore. But you’re not alone – my husband’s phone is so old it doesn’t have a keyboard, just numbers.
Lilly, I’m fully aware that once I cross over to smartphone zone, there’s no going back. I think the only inconvenience that I feel I’m missing out on is the directions thing. I am ALWAYS lost. Ask my husband. Or Ingrid.
This completely explains it – when you wrote about your crazy day with the flat tire and getting lost on the way to run some errand I kept wondering “How on earth did she get lost?!”
Flaunting a flip phone as a high teacher is the best. The kids are so incredulous, but I would often end up asking them to use their smartphones for me; like to have them snap a photo of something in lab or in the woods and send it to me (iPhone + microscope = awesome photography). I was basically depending on smartphones daily, just not my own.
Last summer I finally bid adieu to my flip. Now I have a smartphone with Republic Wireless. I have bored many an unwary acquaintance with how cool Republic Wireless is. I will spare you, but it is really inexpensive (I would tell you why, but that’s the slippery slope to Crazy Adah).
Also, Instagram.
High school teacher!! Not high teacher. Sheesh.
My husband and I still love our old phones; his recently broke and we went to look into the options. Still feel we just couldn’t justify the extra costs of the phone and monthly charges for what we use them for (calls and occasional texts).
haha! This is so great. And it’s exactly the phone my husband has 🙂
Last year I’ve updated to the only other (non-smart) slider that Verizon carries, very similar, BUT! has a touch screen. Ooh. I know you are jealous now! 🙂
Keep strong 🙂
P.S. Adah – I was laughing pretty hard at your “high teacher” comment, too. Perfect!
Don’t be embarrassed!!! After our phone contract ends I’m switching to a flip phone for real. I currently have a “smart”phone that my husband accidentally dropped so the screen is busted..yet usable. I am always hesitant to swipe the screen in case a shard of glass falls out.
Veronika, yes, I’m jealous now 🙂
And Adah, “high teacher” just totally made my day!
Kay, that is something I would do. I write this as our kitchen cabinets hang on by rubber bands til I get around to fixing them. Ha! Careful of those shards of glass, friend!
I admire anyone who lives in “the normal” world and DOESN’T have a smart phone. I know they’re helpful and necessary and all, but I hate those things. I hate the fact that people can’t navigate without them, and that they can be on social media and the internet all the time and that it’s socially acceptable. Plus, if you flash your fancy phone, some other flip phone user will feel totally validated in their choose, ‘cos the super cool lady had one too!
ps. you should see the phones we use 😉 we have a rotary phone with an auxiliary answering machine at home, a pay as you go flip phone from 2008 that doesn’t really work for calls for off island life and when I go back to finland I use a model from 2006 😉 it’s practically retro.
I have the same phone! I’m totally proud of it! I’m 35, so I’m squarely in the smart phone demographic, but I’m holding out (mostly, I don’t want to pay for a data plan). It shocks my students (college) that I don’t have a smart phone and I kind of love it.