One Small Step...

"Welcome to the 21st century," said Sprint.
"Oh, thanks..." we said.
"Well, you know... Not all the way into the 21st century, but you're closer anyway," laughed Sprint.

Kirk's cell phone was carrying about a one minute charge, on a good day. Mine would last for about a day, with no usage mind you. We don't think we use our phones that much but we somehow managed to go just over our minute limits almost every month. Being a one-income family of four I had paired down our plans to the absolute bare minimum. So much so that we became ineligible for the phone upgrades. We found this out last week when Kirk went to try and upgrade his phone to a working model.

They told him that he would have to pay full price for a phone. Nope. Not gonna do that! So I looked around and found that there was a family plan that gave us more minutes and unlimited mobile usage. And would allow us both to upgrade our sturdy, yet ancient, phones. So off to Best Buy we went in search of new technology.

The plans go two year, we all know this. Do you remember what kind of phone you had two years ago? Did it text? Did it email? It probably took pictures... but did it allow you to post them to your blog or to Facebook? No. It probably did not. Well, we remember what our phones were like... because they were the ones we were still using. I think the sales girl almost laughed at us. I take that back. She did laugh at Kirk. A few times. He's part handsome husband, part monkey, and part caveman. It's true. Technology makes him want to beat his chest and run back into his cave. Especially small technology without buttons. Yes people, we got touch screen phones!

Kirk was not pleased. He chose the most basic of phones on the display table. One with a flip top, real buttons, not fancy, no bells, no whistles. There was one option in this category. He was thrilled! (This was one of the times the girl laughed at him.) But, wouldn't you know it... they were out of that model. So he was forced into the space age and had to choose between several touch screen phones with... get this... a Qwerty keyboard! Actually I chose the phone and made him get the same model, different color, so I could later explain to him how to use it. I chose pink, his is black.

As we walked out of the store, new phones in hand, he muttered under his breath about how much his new phone sucked. How he was never going to be able to figure it out and how his big ole fingers would never be able to work all those tiny little keys... and the screen! What the hell what that all about? He just didn't get it. Poor Kirk. But, after a few hours of training and lots of accidental calls to his family and friends, I think he likes it.

Now don't get too excited... our phones can text and email and surf the web... but we cannot. There's just no logical way I could justify going for a data plan when we are a one-income family of four and I'm home all day. Yes, I would love to be able to sit outside and be online... checking out Facebook, posting on my blog, emailing, paying bills... blah blah blah... texting while I'm driving, sexting at all hours of the day, sending out naked pictures of myself all over the interwebs..... OH! WAIT! Never mind.... I have two kids to raise, and a house that ALWAYS needs cleaning, and meals to plan, shop for and make... I have no time for a smart phone. I'm barely a smart person!

Our time will come. But it has not yet arrived in the world of the smart phone. I feel it is our duty to at least keep up with the times at a bare minimum for the shear sake that our kids will pass us up before we know it. For now... I will just have a cute phone that CAN do lots of things... and I will peek over the shoulders of my more technologically inclined friends.

One small step for our phones, and one giant leap sideways in technology!
GO US!