From Smart to Dumb Which is Probably Smart

I am not quite sure how to title this entry. I have several choices:

 1. Confessions of a Newly Recovering iPhone User
2. A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
3. I've Done the Unthinkable
4. Untethered

 I went into the the AT&T store today and did what very few people have ever done before. I switched my phone service from my handy-dandy, beloved iPhone 4 to a "dumb phone," a mobile phone that is just that- a phone. I can text from it or make and receive phone calls. That's it. Texts and calls.

 The nice man who helped me at the store introduced himself and asked if he could help me. I laughed and said, "Yes, you can, but I am going to need a little emotional support. Are you up to it?" He gave a nervous laugh, asked if I was sure about my decision, and then proceded to say he understood and would try to make the transaction as painless as possible. I'm sure he was thinking in the back of his mind that he would see me in a week or two, ready to re-tether myself to my smart phone.

 I know I have made a good decision for several reasons. First, the $30/mo extra (along with several other expenses that we are working to cut) is excessive spending for a big family on a fixed, ministry income, committed to keeping me home as much as possible. Second, I am so tied to my phone. Every spare minute, I slide that lock screen open to check my email or Facebook, text someone, peruse Pinterest, or find out what the weather is going to be for the weekend. So many choices for how to spend those spare seconds. When I am anxious or stressed, I feel suddenly soothed by the glowing screen with all my favorite escapes.

 When the deal was done, I felt strangely disoriented, unsure of how life goes on without constant, everywhere access to the internet, google maps, to Facebook, to amazon.com, and to my newest addiction, Pinterest. No texting a cool picture at a moments notice. No instant access to my e-mail. Had I jumped off a cliff? It felt like it.

 It was only when I had my new dumb phone in hand, paid for with contacts transfered, that I allowed myself to walk across the room to gaze at and stroke the iPhone 5 which I hadn't seen in person yet. To my amazement, it didn't have much charm. Looked pretty much just like mine, and I was already feeling so free of my $30/month commitment to being tethered to a glowing little box, that I was able to happily walk away.