Getting A Fancy Phone

When I pull out my flip phone to make a call, my good friend, Lois, rolls her eyes.  SHE has a wrist watch phone!  Shades of Dick Tracy!!  Then, I watched the former Governor Cuomo say that his daughters really wanted him to get a “fancy phone” (his term, at that time, not mine).  He pulled out his phone from his pocket.  A flip phone!  And, on an episode of the television show, “Star Talk,” hosted by Neil de Grasse Tyson, both of his guests pulled out their flip phones saying, “This is my phone.  If I want a computer I use this other phone (a fancy phone).”  I thought Tyson was going to fall off of his chair.  I’ve known for some time that I will need to succumb to the fancy phone craze.  I’ve resisted.  Boy, have I resisted!

First and foremost, they don’t fit in my pants pocket.  They are simply too big; whereas, the flip phone slips nicely into my side pant pocket and can go everywhere with me.  In television movies, the actors always have their phones on the desk.  Or in their purse.  Or in their back pant pocket – my pants don’t have back pockets!  Or in a pocket of a jacket (which, of course, is larger than pants pockets).  Where do you keep your fancy phone?  Also, the flat fancy phone doesn’t fit against my ear; it just seems to hang out there.  Can others hear the other side of my conversation?

Truth be told, I had a fancy phone – once.  My handyman even bought me a cover for it (pink – I love pink).  He said I needed a cover to protect the screen.  What did I know?  It didn’t fit in my pocket, either; but, I never used it to make calls, anyway, so I could keep it in my purse.  And, because it was attached to Larry’s old cell number, no calls came in – except, of course, scam calls, which I wouldn’t have answered, anyway.  I tried and tried to learn to use it to no avail.  I really tried.  It all just seems too complicated.  I discontinued that phone number to save money, but I don’t know where the pink-covered phone is.  I wonder if I gave it away.

Then, my service provider stopped providing service to my old flip phone.  That meant I had to get a new phone.  Fortunately for me, there was another flip phone available.  So, I bought it … and the service.  But, I kept the old, old phone to use as an electronic daytimer.  It was small and very efficient.  And, the reminder notification rang long enough that I could hear it and had to shut it off before it would stop ringing.  I heard the reminder and got to my appointments on time.  Now, I cannot even charge the phone.  So, I’ve had to use the new phone as my electronic daytimes.

My new flip phone is, at this point, not as usable and efficient as I had hoped.  Albeit, the cost is very reasonable, but there is this thing called, “Notification.”  It notifies me about everything.  EVERYTHING!  I only need to know when the phone rings or an appointment needs to be kept.  I don’t need to know that the battery is full after charging.  I don’t need to know that I have a text message – I hate texting and only do it as a last resort.  It rings with one ding.  ONE DING!  What if I’m in a noisy location?  What if it is the morning, and I’m taking a shower; I don’t take the phone into the bathroom.  To put an item into the daytimer section of the phone, takes infinitely longer than it ever did with my little, old flip phone (it is definitely not efficient).  And, I use an electronic daytime a lot!  I’ve looked and had my daughters look for a separate daytimer.  “They” don’t seem to make them, anymore.

It seems that, now, Daughter #1 is going to need a fancy phone when she takes a new job.  So, I;ve decided that I’ll bite the bullet and get one, too.  As scary as that is to me.  We can learn together  As a first step, I’ve even purchased pants with back pockets! We both are mourning the loss of using the flip phone.  New friend Doris’ son Dan works for a telecom company.  He knows phone companies.  He says that the best current company is Consumer Cellular.  So, to Consumer Cellular we will go to put the plan to get a fancy phone in place.  We’ll buy new phones.  We’ll get new service.  It might be good to note here that sister Clara says it is not called a “fancy phone,” and when I talk with sales people, I have to say, “I-Phone.”  No matter what I have to call it, it is still a “fancy phone” to me.

But, the real question is, who will teach us to use it?  Wish us luck!

Be Safe and Be Well.

The Cranky Crone

Thoughtful comments are appreciated.