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I need to put down my phone. NOW. I got a serious wake up call this week, when a video made its way around Facebook and Twitter. It was a video showing how you can miss all of life's moments, when you are on your phone.
My truth, if I can stand in it for a minute, is that I always have my phone. It's awful. It's an appendage and security blanket. In fact my greatest fear at our momstown conference last May was to "put my phone down". It was really hard to admit this silly thing, but its how I feel and it's consuming me. I even actually get frustrated when my husband or friends are on their phone and not talking to me, so what am I so afraid of?
I know I started to feel a bit attached to my phone on those lonely days and nights in the hospital with my son, Zack. It was my lifeline to the outside world when we would be cooped up for several days. It was how I connected with other moms who had children with special needs and it's also how I stayed close to my family, my husband and friends when we were homebound. I was so proud to tweet and post photos online of my Zackie and I could "manage" his appointments and contacts so easily and now remotely.
I also started blogging and documenting Zack's life, so photos and videos became really important. I would have my phone poised at every PT and OT appointment, hoping to catch Zack reaching a new milestone so I could snap a photo. Did I miss out on ACTUALLY being there for those milestones? It got even worse when I started working in social media and now my phone became a tool for my job.
The habit has gotten worse and it's now something that Paul and the boys bug me about- likely because its bugging THEM. With more ways to become distracted on your phone, its getting harder to just "put it down". But I need to do it. I need to live in the moment and actually enjoy the moments rather than post them on Instagram. The times I do leave the phone in the car or at home, there is a liberating feeling of freedom and I can actually participate more. But I do miss it. Is that awful?
Watch this incredible video called "I Forgot My Phone". I imagine this is what my boys see...but it's not too late to make a change for me and for my family. Starting today, I'm pledging to UNPLUG each and every day, when I meet the boys at the school bus at 3pm and take at least 2 hours off (or more)! So don't text me, what's app me, email, FP message or tweet me during that time....but if you and you catch me? Remind me to PUT DOWN MY PHONE and live in that moment.
*written by Heather Hamilton
http://momstown-moments.momstown.ca/user/14
