Today’s Prompt: Write about something that gives you peace or robs you of it.
My cell phone gives me peace and it robs me of it, too.
When I’m in the store and I don’t remember what the recipe calls for, I look it up. Peace. When I am standing in line and wanting to pass the time, I flip through the photos of Clayton and Sam from earlier in the day. Peace. A friend calls unexpectedly on her commute home . Peace. (And joy, too, but that’s for another day.) A prayer request from a parishioner. Peace.
Oh, but then, I’m working on my sermon, deep in thought. It buzzes. Email. I catch the first line and realize it’s something that can wait, but now it’s the only thing I can think about it. No peace. Later I’m waiting to get a text message back from someone who seems to be avoiding the question. No peace. Constant buzzing and alerts during meetings, even though I’ve pared them down to the “essentials” of texts and emails. No peace. Flipping through it mindlessly “just to check” and spending 30 minutes that could have been using the time to read, or meditate, or pray or (heaven forbid) clean the house. No peace.
My phone was broken for 5 hours last week and one would have thought I was breathing in desert air and choking on the sand. Who is calling? Who needs me? What is happening out there? How can I even get to the store to get it fixed without my map?
Something has to give with the cell phone. How did it get this way? They’re smart, but they’re also selfish.
I guess you have to be as attached to your phone as I am to realize what a difference it makes to take small steps to become unglued. I’m working on it, day by day.
This post is a part of the 25 days of advent writing and photos that I’m doing with my church Northwood Presbyterian Church, San Antonio. For the writing portion, I’ve just set a timer for 20-30 minutes and whatever I have at the end of the time, I post. No editing past the time limit… no worries if there are errors or if I stare at the screen for the first 15 minutes. Giving it a try.