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"The Leash."

"My Best Friend."

These two statements describe my cellphone. One being a curse and the other being there when I need it. How can a piece of technology be such a pain and such a blessing at the same time?

Up until a year and a half ago I never owned a cellphone. Yep. I was...shhhh.....a person who didn't NEED a cellphone. Can you believe that? Be very careful...the men with white coats may come for me! I liked the freedom of driving in my car, going out with my family, and just spending my time alone....with no interruptions! If I didn't answer my home phone people assumed I wasn't home and they gave up. That has now changed.

My boss went absolutely nuts when I began working for him and he couldn't contact me all the time. So, he bought me a cellphone. What a gesture! I thought this was very cool and showed that I was important in the company. I was WRONG. It was just a way for him to know what I was doing all the time, even after work hours. And, forget about ignoring the calls...that doesn't work. Henceforth, "the Leash."

For me, the hardest part of owning a cellphone is the urge that people have to call you on the way home. They know you are driving. Do they really want you to be holding a phone in one hand and steering the car with the other? I have news for you...not everyone is proficient in multi-tasking. When driving you should be paying attention to driving..not the conversation you are having on the phone!

I was fortunate to get a new car this year and it came equipped with a SYNC system. I appreciate this technology. You can talk on the phone without holding the phone. Using voice commands you can dial whoever you need to call without touching the actual phone. I prefer this over holding the phone in my hand, and looking at the face to dial a number. I know this is not any less distracting than just holding the phone, according to experts. I disagree. For me, it is the only way I will answer my phone while driving. Do you know how many times I have seen someone talking on their phone, and then they get into an accident? Too many.

On the contrary though.....my cellphone has been used in a true emergency. I was in an accident on the freeway on Halloween night. My son and I were driving home and someone clipped my back tire going 75mph and spun me around. After being hit three more times, I was able to gain control of my car. At that point, I have never been so thankful to own a cellphone. I frantically called 911. I then proceeded to call my husband. Then, my boss called to check in and found out what had happened.

If I wouldn't have owned a cellphone there would have been issues as the person who hit me didn't have hers. So, we would have had to rely on someone calling it in driving on the freeway. I am sorry to say this, but most people don't call in accidents like they used to because they assume everyone has a cellphone!

So, I guess I like the cellphone when it comes to emergencies, and if I forget to tell my husband something, or if I am driving home and it is a long ride and I can catch up with friends and family....But I honestly could live without one. Maybe just one for emergencies would be good, but not as a common staple...like Flour.....

Learn more about this author, Vanessa Calleja.
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