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Forgetting Your Phone Isn’t the End of the World, or Is It?
A train ride with no phone helped me look into the human mind.
You would think that I would be useless without my phone. At least that was the sentiment of others when I told them I forgot it at home the other day. But, surprisingly, I was productive and entertained. Then again, that’s just me. What follows is the tale of a day with no iPhone in an era of excessive connectivity and high dependence on digital devices.
I was running late for the train to Philadelphia from Washington, DC. My usual commute to the City of Brotherly Love takes about two hours by train and is much more peaceful and productive than driving. The trip can take longer than three hours when I take the car, including run-ins with some very interesting drivers. You know the type… the ones in such a hurry that they drive 110 miles per hour and violate every traffic law. The ones who flip you off if you dare drive at a reasonable speed.
But this day, I had bigger concerns: I had left my phone at home. The feeling in the pit of my stomach was similar to when I forgot I had an exam, or when I forgot to turn in a term paper on time. Or when I was in a minor car accident on my way to an important job interview.
