An Open Letter to My Crashed iPhone
Dear iPhone:
You crashed right at the time when I was about to work on Tuesday morning. I am a property stylist and my workplace is varied in different properties, which could be anywhere. I really needed you to navigate, but your face was stuck on a Spotify page.
I touched your lovely face again and again, for some reason you didn’t respond, and what was even worse, I also could not exit Spotify. What’s wrong with you and Spotify, are you obsessed with her? Can you please pay the Spotify premium monthly fee for me?
I was so regretful that I opened Spotify as a friend shared some good podcasts with me, I wanted to check it out and listened to them while I was driving to work. Then it stuck, you died.
Since you crashed, the first thing that came into my mind was navigation. I heavily rely on you when I drive, but you were not working at that moment.
How could I go to the property that I was going to style? I could see my colleague texted me about the details of the work, were you trying to tell me you half died and you tried your best to let me see the notification so that I would worry more? I had to send an email via my laptop to my boss and the colleague to explain the situation that I may lose contact with them. The email was with the title “ My phone is dying”. I was really panicking, darling.
Because you suddenly died, I was going to be late for work. This was really an emergency situation. In 5 minutes, I prepared the following things for the worst situation:
- I found an old phone in the deepest corner of my closet drawer. However I couldn’t find the iPhone stick for the cardholder, so I grabbed a needle from my sewing kit, luckily it worked and I changed the SIM card to the old phone. Sorry for the needle, as I nearly bent one of you when I stuck the cardholder
- Then the next problem was the old phone was out of power. I grabbed a charger and line just in case the car charger didn’t work so I could still stop somewhere to charge the old phone
- I also brought my laptop. I was thinking maybe I can find a public library or McDonald’s to access Wifi and stay connected. I should have checked the map on the laptop so I wouldn’t get lost
- Then with an old phone (no power), dead phone, needle case, laptop, bags, lunch, coffee cup, I jumped into my car and drove
Fortunately, I had been to this property before and roughly knew how to get there, especially the first half of the route. I didn’t really need the navigation so I could charge the old phone in my car.
The first half was on a busy highway. I think I’ve never driven without you on this highway which has complicated exits and entrances. And you sometimes directed me to the wrong exit! This time I seemed more focused without you, so I drove smoothly to the right way!
Thank god, after the highway, the old phone woke up! I pulled over to a back street first, then opened Google Map to navigate, and finally arrived at the destination, only 10 minutes late.
Then I spent a bit of time logging in to every app that I need to use to stay connect. Whatsapp, WeChat, Gmail, work email, One Drive, Evernote, Apple ID, Facebook, Messenger…… I felt so relieved when I could access the messages that my colleagues sent to me.
During the break from work, I checked my old phone. It was weird to use an old phone as it felt like meeting the version of myself two years ago. Two years ago, I didn’t have a cat so my screen wallpaper was my parents’ dog, while the dead phone’s screen was my cat, which I adopted 1 year ago.
I was also confused that why I downloaded so many cooking apps? And different types of camera apps that I seldom used? Why were there no finance-related apps such as stock, trading, cashback app, and rewards app? I am a little bit proud that I am improving in managing the finance stuff, is that a sign of maturity? What a progression!
When I finished work, I finally calmed down and tried to figure out how to wake up you. My dear dead phone, if you need artificial respiration I would love to do it for you as we have been together almost two years, we are the closest partner.
I talk with you, watch TV with you, eat with you, sleep with you, date with you, go to the toilet with you, cook with you, drive with you, work with you, entertain with you, photo with you, run with you, and carry you to anywhere. We are even more closer and spend more time together during the Covid lockdown, especially on an App called TikTok.
I shared some great moments with you, such as the life-changing moment when I received my permanent visa grant letter from you on a Saturday morning. I also received the job offer, important exam results, and plenty of family photos from you.
Oh, I forget to tell you that I even wrote the first part of this article on the dead then alive phone. With the help of Apple support tips, I restarted it, and it back to business just before it ran out of power. And I used the needle again to change the SIM card.
Thank you, my crashed phone. You gave me a great opportunity to learn and practice how to deal with emergency situations without you. Are you doing this every year like a fire drill? If so, let me know the date please so I can mentally prepare for it.
Thank you, my crashed phone, you made me meet myself two years ago, and realized how things changed in my life. From dog to cat, from cooking apps to finance apps, from the 20s to 30s, what a different stage of life!
Thank you, my crashed phone, you let me know I actually can survive without you. I should give you more personal space and let you rest more, sleep more so you won’t be suddenly died again.
I assume you were just angry as I dropped you a couple of times and hurt your back recently? Please don’t be angry, it is just a crack on your back glass, but your face is still looking beautiful. So don’t worry, I will love you all the same.
Thank you, my crashed phone, it’s 11 pm now I should say good night to you! I wish you have a good rest! Oh, wait, I need to use a sleeping app to record my sleep and set an alarm for tomorrow, sorry you have to work at night while I sleep. No matter what, thanks so much! My deadly beloved phone!
Thanks and regards,
Your dearest owner
