Saturday, September 7, 2013

Cutting The Cord(less)

When I worked for Sony years ago and wanted to buy my parents a cordless phone for Christmas they rebuffed the offer: why would we need a cordless phone when it just takes a few seconds to walk to the one in the kitchen? I remember trying to explain how convenient and modern it was to not be tied to a phone on the wall.

Fast forward to last week when I finally decided, mostly for cost reasons ($60/mo.), to stop home service on a phone I barely use. Going mobile only means giving up the number I've had for 2 decades- Wah, waah! I could not believe how traumatic it was for me to finally release the comfort of having a phone I've probably spent as much time forwarding to my cell as I did actually talking on.

I've thought about it and think I know why: there is just something about the thought of cutting out the main way people reached me that chokes me up. Chris, my old boyfriend, would occasionally say no matter what distance came between us he always knew how to get in touch when he needed me. He has since passed away yet I still think of my home line as the way any former connections could reach out. Keeping an open line to the past was what the phone, cordless or not, meant to me.

My parents have gone on to be mobile users and both read on Kindles and now look back at their tech fears amused- this, while still keeping their home line. Best of both worlds I would say. But for me in my second half, part of what I want is to streamline my life and that means in every area. So even though it physically hurt and I spent an excessive amount of time weighing the options- I cut the cord and let my line go and am now fully mobile.

The possible lost connections is what caused me to fear going cold turkey and now I'm clear that tethering ourselves to our past and leaving open reconnection are two different things. I am clearly reachable through multiple social media platforms and there is no one who wanted to that couldn't connect with me. So, ahhhh... one less bill, one less voicemail to check, one less thing weighing me down from getting to my life's work.

What cord is keeping you tethered? What cut to your past needs to be made?

Do it, you'll feel better- even if it takes a day or two and a good cry. Life is for living forward, not for pulling us back to the past.

Happy cord cutting to you :)

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