I've had 2 major emergencies since the cell phone era and both times it was not available. Once while walking my dog in the woods before work, I slipped on ice and broke my ankle in 3 places. It was a very early Sunday morning, 13 degrees, so I was the only one on the trail. And, I had left my phone in the car, so, I had to reset the floppy ankle, hold it in my Ugg boot like a sling, and drag myself to the road. The second time, I was in a remote area in Vermont when my mother died unexpectedly. The police were trying to reach me for 2 days before, by chance, my BF went into town for coffee and saw his phone had blown up. Both emergencies were dealt with eventually, but I realized that using the excuse that I need my phone near me for "emergencies" is a crock. For the most part, I check my emails in the morning and then not again for the rest of the day, and the cell phone is put away for the night before dinner. But I still think more time away from it would be beneficial, so I appreciate this reminder!
I loved this post and could relate in several ways. Like you, I put my phone on airplane mode on the trail. During a regular day, I take breaks by going outside (usually to care for the horses and chickens), and during that time I organize my thoughts or simply chill out); I deliberately leave my phone inside, out of earshot for notifications. I also try to read about 20 minutes of a novel every morning before getting on my device. This morning, depressed about the state of the world, I put aside what I was supposed to do and baked muffins instead.
I've had 2 major emergencies since the cell phone era and both times it was not available. Once while walking my dog in the woods before work, I slipped on ice and broke my ankle in 3 places. It was a very early Sunday morning, 13 degrees, so I was the only one on the trail. And, I had left my phone in the car, so, I had to reset the floppy ankle, hold it in my Ugg boot like a sling, and drag myself to the road. The second time, I was in a remote area in Vermont when my mother died unexpectedly. The police were trying to reach me for 2 days before, by chance, my BF went into town for coffee and saw his phone had blown up. Both emergencies were dealt with eventually, but I realized that using the excuse that I need my phone near me for "emergencies" is a crock. For the most part, I check my emails in the morning and then not again for the rest of the day, and the cell phone is put away for the night before dinner. But I still think more time away from it would be beneficial, so I appreciate this reminder!
I loved this post and could relate in several ways. Like you, I put my phone on airplane mode on the trail. During a regular day, I take breaks by going outside (usually to care for the horses and chickens), and during that time I organize my thoughts or simply chill out); I deliberately leave my phone inside, out of earshot for notifications. I also try to read about 20 minutes of a novel every morning before getting on my device. This morning, depressed about the state of the world, I put aside what I was supposed to do and baked muffins instead.
How was VT50K?