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I’m Entering a New Phase of Life

iphoneI’m entering a new phase of my life. You know the new phase. The one I’ve been holding off as best I could for as long as I could. The one that includes gigabytes, apps, meta pixels, and data plans.

I ordered a smartphone. No, seriously. I did. I ordered a smart phone. For myself. And I was wide awake and sober when I did it.

Some years back, I went into the cell phone realm kicking and screaming. I did not in any way want to be chained to technology, I  defiantly declared. When I was away, I wanted to be a-way, get it? No cellular telephone for me. I was above all that nonsense.

But as life started to change and my kids starting getting older, I began to see how useful a cell phone could be. So I got one.

That was seven years ago. In that time, I upgraded. Once. To another “dumb” phone. My dummy and I have been very happy with each other, all in all. Texting and phone calling was plenty for me. I didn’t need all the bells and whistles and, by golly, I didn’t need to have my face glued to a little screen 24/7. Nope, not me. I was above all that nonsense.

I made a pact with my dumb phone, “You and me forever, Baby.”

I didn’t miss the “smart” of a smart phone because I work out of my home and have everything I need at hand. When I do travel, my dumb phone and laptop have been quite sufficient. We’ve worked well as a team, really well.

Then I got an email from the Israel Ministry of Tourism notifying me that I’d been chosen to go with the Catholic Press Association on the IMOt-sponsored trip to Israel May 18-28, 2014 as part of Pope Francis’ visit there. The only “catch” is that it would be a working trip, meaning I’d be expected to report on the happenings over there. So, I got me some interested media outlets, which included a couple of radio stations. Then reality hit. In order to do that, I’d need a bit more sophistication in the technology department.

I looked at my dumb phone. It looked at me. I took a deep breath and let out a slow, long sigh.

“It ain’t you and me no more, Baby,” I said, pinching out a tear. “It’s been swell, but you’re just not enough for me any longer. It’s time for me to move on.”

It just looked at me, blankly, and didn’t say a word.

Next thing I know, I’m scanning descriptions, weighing features, jostling data plans, and pushing the “Submit Order” button on my wireless carrier’s website. Ah, life can be so cold and harsh sometimes. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. It’s time to enter a new phase of my life – modern technology.

My Nokia Lumina 925 should be arriving in a week or so. Once I have it, I suppose I’ll have to retire my dumb phone with dignity. He’ll probably never speak to me again, but that’s a risk I’ll have to take.


Marge Fenelon is a Catholic wife, mother, author, columnist, and speaker. She’s a frequent contributor to a number of Catholic publications and websites and is a regular guest on Catholic radio. She’s written several books about Marian devotion and Catholic family life and has touched the hearts of audiences in a variety of venues. Her latest book is Imitating Mary: Ten Marian Virtues for the Modern Mom (Ave Maria Press, 2013).