Day 8: Birthday's with No Phone

Today I celebrate my first ever birthday with no phone!

I woke up today to no text messages, no missed calls, just the peace and silence, and the darkness of my room to go with it. 

As some of you already know, I use Google Voice as an alternative to receiving text messages and phone calls. When I first started thinking about reducing my screen-time, I found subreddits like r/DumbPhones and, naturally, thought that would be the route I would take. But after scouring the interwebs for weeks for a dumbphone that fit my needs, I became pretty dissuaded. If a phone was cheap, it was cheap for a reason (I made and retracted an offer for a Blackberry Classic after learning the U.S. doesn't support 2G, 4G, or non-VoLTE service, which most 'dumbphones' made before 2018 don't have). If it had the things I was looking for; texting and calling on 5G, and maybe even the ability to check my email, it was priced like you were purchasing its weight in gold! The Lightphone III was a favorite, until I saw the price tag of nearly $800. 

It made me think: Do I even need a phone, at all?

If all I'm going to do with a dumbphone is text and call, why can't I just text and call from my computer, I thought. Doing so would save me at least $400-$500, if not more, which in itself was an incentive enough to try going no-phone, rather than deal with the webbed-world of dumb-phones and service providers. Speaking of which, the idea of saving an additionally $30-$50 a month for a service line was the cherry on top I needed to be motivated to just ditch the phone all together; smart or dumb.

And Google Voice has been working, dare I say, very well for me. I even got a call from my grandma the other day on my computer! She was a little confused at first, but after I explained why the robotic "Please state your name and Google Voice will try to connect you" wasn't actually me (or my girlfriend), she seemed satisfied with the fact that she could talk to me, nonetheless. She didn't care, nor know, that I was using my computer to talk to her. 

I also have been receiving phone calls and text messages from my supervisor and boss through Google Voice, without them being any of the wiser. It's actually been quite a pleasant disconnect between my personal and professional life. When I need to check in for something work related, I go to my in-home office, boot up the computer, and check my web browser for any messages or missed calls. It's a lot like being in a post-apocalyptic shelter checking for messages after scavenging for resources all day. I suppose that's why I went with the retro vibe for this blog; which I hope you're digging as much as I am ;)

But, let's get back to what this entry is all about: It's my birthday! Don't worry, I don't need birthday wishes (although if the comments happened to be flooded with them I may giggle to my girlfriend about how awesome my readers are for the rest of the day, but let's keep that between you and me). What this entry is all about is navigating one's birthday ... without a phone! And, well, it has actually been pretty nice.

I woke up today and was eager to pop open the computer and web browser to check my messages. I saw a message from my grandma, dad, mom, brother, and sister-in-law, all wishing me Happy Birthday. My girlfriend made me a wonderful breakfast; stacked pancakes with maple syrup and her famous strawberry-blueberry capote that we haven't had the pleasure of indulging in since our visit to Rome. Later today, we plan to go catch a matinee at the movie theater and rewatch "You, Me, and Tuscany". This will actually be the first time I ever re-watch a movie; I've never been big on 'rewatches'. But I'm a total sucker for rom-coms, and getting to see the Italian countryside on film is just such a treat. The gushy-rom-com plot line is definitely a plus. For me, the movie is a perfect blend of romance and scenic, cinema beauty. My girlfriend is studying film in university (perhaps a future film professor, who knows?!) so getting to enjoy such vivid cinema with her is always a treat.

I also want to mention quickly that I had to attend one of those dreaded Zoom meetings today. My job requires it 2-3x a week, and despite not having a smartphone, I connected with ease nonetheless. Completed the meeting, and moved on with my life. No smartphone necessary.

Okay, I think it sounds like I'm bragging. One, let me brag; it's my birthday! Two, I think the reason I'm spilling all of this to you, my lovely reader, is because I want to show you that life goes on without a smartphone. From my visits to the DMV, to now today celebrating my birthday ... not having my smartphone hasn't dampened my joy, experiences, and wonder of the world. I still connect with loved ones and people close to me on my special days. I was given a special and unique moment to myself this morning when I woke; a moment for self-reflection, peace, quiet, and pure bliss before my birthday-day started. That, in itself, is a gift.

And, a little tidbit about the movies, I have something called Regal Unlimited (not sponsored ofc because this blog has like 15 dedicated readers, of which each one of you I absolutely adore and love but come on, nobody is sponsoring me to write about going ANTI-TECH, right?). But here's the thing about the Unlimited; you need an app and smartphone to buy tickets. So how do I buy tickets and go to the movies without the app you ask...?

I printed out my fuckin' QR code! Suck my balls, Regal! No-tech for life!

I just scan my QR code which is on a laminated piece of paper in my wallet (and also has a picture of me next to it for ID purposes) and I can buy my ticket at the theater. I check Regal listings on the browser to see what's planning. That's how I know in 30 minutes from now, You, Me, & Tuscany is airing for a mid-day matinee. 

Also, sorry, Regal ... I shouldn't have told you to suck my balls. That was aggressive. I think I just get a little amped up when I get to have a one-up on the technology conglomerates. I'm telling you, friends, there is always an alternative to the 'convenience' technology pretends to offer. For me, that 'convenience' technology brought in my life was also matched with 6+ hours of screen time, depression, anxiety, and a constant feed of convincing me to buy Chipotle, new clothes, and gadgets on Amazon; of which I have like none left. Seriously, I don't even know where all the money I gave Amazon went to, I look around my house right now and can't see anything from Amazon, other than like this faux jellyfish tank that lights up that I never use. Deciding to literally never shop at Amazon again has been not just gracious for my mental health, but also my wallet ... but I think that's a conversation for another day.

As for now, I think I'll put a pin in today's entry and get ready for our matinee and journey to Tuscany for an hour and a half. Thanks so much for tuning in. And, as always, a quick shout-out to our two (2!!) new followers who Joined the Movement today: Nic and Stephen (The Racoon). The blog is up to 11 followers, and while it may not sound like a 'lot', to me it is an amazing amount of readers I've never had before. I've been writing for quite sometime throughout my life, but never before this blog did I feel like my writing 1.) Had any value to the world 2.) People actually enjoyed (?) reading it and 3.) I enjoyed writing. This blog, and you amazing readers, have inspired me to keep writing and journaling these daily adventures and life without a smartphone! To that, I say: thank you. Genuinely.

Until tomorrow: rest well, enjoy the day, and I'll see you for Day 9, tomorrow!