So I have a cell phone.

Its been a big week for the telecommunications industry.  Sasha Warner, the last hold out of her generation, got a cell phone.  That's right.  I've joined the party.

I have really enjoyed these years of being unreachable.  A modern day hermit, if you will.  I could reach anyone I wanted at almost anytime, but they couldn't reach me.  I wanted silence, and I lived a text free, ringer free existence.  

But then we started having problems with our landline, and it seemed easier to just have two cells.  Shawn's been pushing this for a while, and it makes a lot of sense.  I agreed to it last Sunday afternoon, and he was on the phone with our cell phone provider on Sunday night.  The process was completed and I officially inherited Shawn's old phone Thursday morning.

Day one was a little frustrating for everyone but me.  Apparently, the key to using a cell phone is remembering you have one.  I missed a couple congratulatory calls and texts.  Shawn emailed me late in the afternoon to say "In case you forgot about the phone, I texted you to tell you..."  Woops.  I only got frustrated once, when I realized -- too late -- that I had in fact sent myself a text from my iPad to Shawn's old cell phone.  So day one wasn't a total success, but it helped me realize three things.  I can still be unreachable and have silence whenever I want: I own the cell phone, it doesn't own me, and I can turn it off whenever I want.

The same goes for social media.  I've been off social media since I gave up Facebook last year for Lent.  It was adding too much noise to my life.  With the cell phone, I have the temptation to add some things back in.  Like having Instagram for the first time ever.  I hear there are a lot of easy ways to document life with one's phone camera and Instagram, so I signed up.  I have posted a whopping three pictures to date.  Instagram is pushing, pushing, pushing me to follow others, but thats where the noise comes in.  I don't care who follows me.  I won't follow back.  I am using the technology how I want to and I am in control.

So there you have it.  I am in the game and you can call me whenever you want.  Just don't call me today.  I've had laryngitis since Thursday.