This Baby Boomer Inquiring Mind Wants to Know

What was life like before cell phones?

I lost my cell phone over the weekend while on an out-of-town trip. I initially hesitated to take it because I make it a practice not to do telephone business on the weekends. Another reason for not taking it was because I was going to be with my husband and he’s the ONLY PERSON I generally answer the phone for on Saturdays and Sundays.

But then I figured if something happened to me on the road, having a cell phone would come in quite handy.

The last time I had my cell phone was early Saturday morning when my teenage daughter used it to talk to a friend. Instead of giving it back to me, she said she laid it down on the dining room table. It was only when I was getting ready to leave and return to North Carolina, did I start looking for it. By that time, it had mysteriously disappeared. I guess it just got up and walked away.

It’s amazing…just a few short years ago, I didn’t even like talking on a cell phone. As a member of the baby boomer generation, I grew up with a rotary dial phone. There was no such thing as cordless or wireless. Now I discover I can’t live without this new technology. I searched frantically all over the house looking for it. I thought I would die! No cell phone. No connection to the outside world. No way to call anyone if I should have an accident or break down on the road. What’s even worse is I lost ALL of my very important contact numbers. Do you know how long it took me to figure out how to import those numbers into my phone? Do you know how hard it was to get some of those numbers?

Today this baby boomer feels disconnected.