FROM ROOSEVELT by Linda Schuster
By:
My favorite piece of paraphernalia in my bag of tricks, hands down, is my cell phone. That sleek convenience streamlines my life each and every day. Call me crazy, yet I’m of the opinion that Shakespeare foreshadowed the invention of the cell phone when he penned Sonnet 18. Consider this:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
I’ll tell you, I do love my cell phone. I honestly don’t know how I used to live without it. It means function on a basic, cellular level, so to speak.
Forget all the discussion about rules of etiquette, how low to keep your voice in public and when to turn off the ringer. Safety issues, yes. But why do we have to bear with endless lectures repeating the dos and don’ts of cell phone use?
I’m all for respecting other people. But, hello, isn’t it also important to let someone know when you’re running late for an appointment or checking on that tidbit of information you need in order for things to run smoothly?
It has saved the day on more than one occasion even though the darn thing can be so often troublesome. My No. 1 dilemma being that I cannot use it at all inside the concrete-block structure that is my house. I have to go on a field trip out to the yard or driveway just to check my messages.
Obstacles aside, the bugger is still worth owning. I take it everywhere because it’s as vital as my keys and wallet. I can execute schedule changes. I can actually communicate with my family and coordinate activities in a structured manner. I can smile.
Well I’m no Shakespeare; however, my little phone has inspired a scribbling of the following verse:
O constant companion, shall I compare thee to a closest friend? Text message or voice, essential details I send. You flow with my lifestyle, On your signal I strongly depend.
Thy pleasing fashion dark, slender and neat, arouses affections most deeply yet sweet. You light up my screen, Eternally make me complete.
I clothe you in gleaming black leather to protect your slight frame from the weather. Easy parcel to carry, Ever light as a breeze-swirled Swan’s feather.
Form-fit to my palm, Agenda tempests you calm Amidst hectic schedules, As a Gilead balm.
Answering downloaded ringer is fun, To chat with spouse, daughter or son, A thrill equal to none. As long as I have turned you on!
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Linda Schuster is a freelance writer living in Roosevelt, who has altogether too much time on her hands.