Inside Our Inbox: Kellie’s New Toy

Lest this blog succumb to the temptation of presenting only a picture-perfect, carefully-edited facade…

We have decided to post email conversations of ours from time to time. This blog began five years ago as an extension of our ongoing email chats about all the big and small thoughts and happenings that punctuate our days. Through emails, we have shared inspirations and sorrows, lots of laughs and way too much information (in fact, we have unofficially nicknamed it the “TMI Listserve”) and, most of all, the bond of sisterhood in Christ across the miles.

So, with a double shot of reality and just a touch of (necessary) censoring, we take you… Inside Our Inbox.

Kellie’s New Toy

Kellie:

My new iphone just arrived in the box, and it looks so cute I don’t want to open it?  Does this mean–

a)  I need to think about having another baby because I’m giving baby like attributes to a new device
b)  I’ve been deprived of a smart phone for so long that I’m a little nutty
c)  I have some guilt about getting such a nice phone
d)  I am intimidated by technology and don’t want to mess anything up
e)  all of the above!

E!!!!

Juris Mater:

f) your spirit and your humanity and recoil at a piece of electronic equipment that will tempt you to flee opportunities for contemplation, to objectify your relationships, to increase the pace of your life, to set more expectations, and generally to anesthetize yourself through the moments that make life most real.

Anti-technology as always, JM

Mary Alice:

Step one, turn off all alerts and notifications. For three months, mine dinged every time I got an email. Not necessary.

Kellie:

step one, open box — still unable to do this because the box is so cute!

step two–turn off all alerts and notifications

step three–order childproof/bulletproof/waterproof case so expensive phone is not destroyed

step four–apologize to Juris Mater for joining the 21st century.  (actually, I’m getting this one out of the way first, see below)

step five– consider getting a pet if I keep thinking inanimate things are “cute”

My dearest Juris Mater,

I do feel badly about leaving you behind, but I’ve decided to join the 21st century and stop calling my husband every time a practice or game changes location at the last minute.   I was the only mom on most teams unable to get an e-mail notification once I had already left the house, and NO the coach never remembered to give me call or send a text to let me know that I didn’t need to do that extra driving.  So I would call my poor husband at any sign of rain.  I admit that I was forced to make this choice because my old phone died when a sippy cup spilled on it and covered it in water.  I didn’t want to pay the extra money, but, by divine providence, I’m switching providers and my new plan is actually going to be $10 cheaper per month, only $30.  I tried to get a cheap flip phone, but my husband insisted that I get an iphone and let him do his job, and I’m terrible with technology and he didn’t want the trouble of trying to get all my mac stuff (I use mac for everything) onto another operating system.  It was with obedience and respect that I submitted to his wishes and purchased a cute, adorable, helpful, life-enhancing device.

I do hope we can remain friends.  I promise not to abuse my device.  I may even set an alarm on said device to remind me of times for quiet reflection and catching up with friends.  I will remember to visit you often, in your quiet 20th century abode.  And I will cherish the fond memories we had chatting on our old flip phones. How could I ever forget our chats about labor and NFP and about whether a second line on a pregnancy test always means you are pregnant?

Fondly,
Kellie

Queen B:

Please visit me too.  my “vintage” flip phone keeps me tucked contentedly in the nineteenth–or is it eighteenth–century.  No, I am not stand-offish, I just don’t get texts when you send them!  This is valuable information, especially for anyone who might be trying to communicate me during reunions 😉  Thank goodness T gets them on his iPhone and is happy to pass info along to me 🙂

Back to nursing….

So happy for you, Kellie 🙂

Love, Queen B

Juris Mater:

Hilarious Kellie. Have fun with your new toy. Tell me when you start letting your kids play Angry Birds during Mass, and if you ever tire of friendships consisting of terse tweets on a blinking screen, my SLIDER phone (I upgraded from flip, yo) will be standing by…

Queen B, yeah sister, fight the power.

MaryAlice:

Kellie, I got a smart phone for the exact same reason, I had too many cloudy days when I called my husband from an empty baseball parking lot to find out whether practice was cancelled.  We figured that given his billing rate, it was inefficient for him to be my secretary!…

Also, the free Kindle App, and then a lot of older classic books are free or 99 cents as e-books, and you can adjust the font size, so you (and by extension your kids) always have an entire library in your purse.  It’s not all angry birds, Ms. Juris Mater…

P gets an iPad for school next year, I think it is pretty tightly controlled (no games, limited internet) but it will be interesting.

Texas Mommy:

I also didn’t want an iphone (my instructions to Mr. Tex were “get whatever is free”) but he came home with one for me b/c he wanted to be able to facetime with the boys when he’s out of town. They love being able to see him and show him things (a found duck egg or the baby’s tooth) via facetime and he can show them the scenery/sights where he is, etc.

Also, I really appreciate instantaneous information when Mr. Tex is gone. Heathrow was shut down this morning when he was supposed to land there for a plane on fire for a not immediately determinable reason and he was able to let me know right away that his flight was diverted to Gatwick so he was not part of the emergency shut down. This saved me a ton of stress and worry!

Bethany:

I’m also late to the techie email discussion, but congrats, Kel, on your new device.  Now you can navigate DC without a paper map!  I’m excited for you.  I am still in slide phone world, enjoying my limited tech when we’re out.  I’m taking AWOL Mommy’s advice and continuing to flee temptation.

So, there you have it. Devices: tools, toys, or temptations?