Things To Consider Today    By Leland Pulley

Cell Phones and Peace Of Mind

Recently I came out of the grocery store and was approaching my car. In the parking lot I saw a lady and her son get out of her car. Attached to her coat was a phone device like a microphone, which allowed her to talk into it while driving or walking. She was talking into her phone while getting out of the car and walking towards the store. She was also saying a few things to her son who was walking beside her.  I watched her for a minute and then continued on my way.

So many people have fallen in love with their cell phones. They use them constantly - at home, at the store, on the road, and at work. Adults use them, teens use them, and so do children. Since we have grown accustomed to using these phones so much, you have to ask some questions. How did we ever get along without them? What would people do today without their cell phones? The answer is simple. We would do like we use to do. Make less calls and spend less time on the phone. Use regular phones or pay phones.    

Cell phones are just another convenience which has come along, that people get exposed to and soon a “want” for one becomes a “need” to buy and use it. The typical individual starts out using the phone periodically, and then more regularly until it’s a daily thing. For some individuals it’s many calls daily. For others it’s being on call 24/7 because their cell phone is always with them. They are ready to talk to anyone about anything, no matter the time or place. Does this sound familiar?

I realize that some people use their cell phone a lot for job related calls, but that is different. The emphasis here is phone usage for personal affairs.

Going back to the lady at the grocery store. I don’t know who she was talking to nor what they were discussing. I may have seen a rare occurrence in her own life. But I do see so many people using phones in stores, on the sidewalk, while driving, at the airport, and other places. It’s obvious that cell phone usage is extremely high. Do your observations match mine?

At the hospital where my wife works, other nurses tell her that their teenage daughters run up large cell phone bills each month. Each youth uses hundreds, if not a few thousand minutes monthly talking with friends or text messaging or downloading items from the Internet via their cell phones. Look at all the time that is being used, as well as the large bills some parents are paying. What is all this for anyway? What is being accomplished?    

One reason people use cell phones so much is because we all live in a fast pace and disconnected society and world. These phones accommodate our need to talk with others and share our concerns and voice our opinions. It’s like the Internet where people talk to strangers and reveal a lot of personal information about themselves. In both cases, it’s a matter of how much information you share and with whom. Be careful of this. Use discretion.

Unfortunately a lot of cell usage leads to one person hearing the conversations of others. This occurs on planes, buses, and trains; in restrooms, hallways, and offices; in churches, governmental buildings, and community centers. You’re not that interested in what the other person is saying, but due to your close proximity, it is not always easy nor convenient for you to move further away, especially immediately. It would be better if we all limited our calls where others are close to us or we should move away from others while conversing on our cell phones.  

I have a cell phone, but I wasn’t one of the first persons to go out and buy one. I don’t use it that much. It is merely a convenience that is helpful under certain conditions. For example, you may be away from home and run into a problem and need to contact someone. You may be behind schedule and want to call someone so they know you’re still coming to see them. There may be a need to communicate an important message immediately, rather than wait to use a regular phone.  Each person has to judge how much to use a cell phone. How much of your time and money should be consumed via your cell phone?

As implied above, there is a bill for cell phone usage that varies with your phone package. This can vary a lot depending on the quality of phone you buy and the service features you select with your phone package. But the major cost factor is usage. This is determined by the usage package you sign up for originally and whether you stay within the limits of this package without occurring extra costs.

Wise use of your cell phone implies two things. Use it as a true convenience. Let it save you time rather than merely consume so much of your time. To accomplish this you must monitor its usage. Do not let communication on this phone become merely a habit. It should be for good purposes. For some individuals, communicating via their phones becomes almost like an addiction. Avoid this. Also, do not disturb others with your cell phone conversations. Finally, do not spend more money on your bill than you can afford, nor than you should, based on reasonable cell phone usage per month.

Using a cell phone in the right ways brings more peace of mind to everyone. Less hours per week are wasted and phone bills are lower. There are less interruptions to your daily thoughts and routines by communication involving you. Less cell phone conversations of others are heard by you.  This all leads to less hassle, and feeling less used and worn out at the end of the day. Less interruptions lead to more accomplishments, which makes you happier when reviewing your day or week. There is also road safety. We all feel safer when people are paying full attention to their driving rather than dividing their attention between driving, talking on the phone, and perhaps checking on a child in the car. A conversation with someone in the car is less distractive than a cell phone call. For one reason the conversation with another passenger can be stopped and started many times while driving due to road and traffic conditions. This is harder to do with someone on the phone.  There are other reasons why use of cell phones leads to more peace of mind for everyone. Think of some in your life.

I challenge you to keep control over your cell phone usage via yourself contacting others and allowing them to contact you. Use this wonderful device in good ways to serve you, rather than you serve it. Do not use it in any way that has a negative effect on others.  May you experience good communication in the future...... a fellow cell phone user!

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Copyright  2007     Leland Pulley