By MARK MEDLYN, guest columnist
The cell phone. Within a short period of time, it has gone from a luxury to a necessity, like a piece of clothing that is as important as shoes.
How did we go from “You have what?” to something that most people cannot live without for more than five minutes.
This became apparent to me a few weeks ago, when I met my brother for dinner in Bloomington. It was already going to be a late dinner due to his schedule and it became apparent that it was going to be even a later dinner, as his cell phone was not working and he needed to talk to his carrier about re-configuring the Wi-Fi.
For 10 minutes, he bemoaned the fact that he had lost his contacts, that he had important work related emails that needed to be checked — at 7:30 p.m. — and that all of his contacts were missing. I listened with silent bemusement as he went on about a litany of problems that would happen if he did not get his phone working and in short order.
I finally told him that we either went to dinner now or I was leaving to go to a fast food restaurant as I was very hungry and getting very cranky.
We then walked to our destination, and there I saw in full view, the dating of men and women in the year 2021. This couple was obviously dating due to their body language, but for the time that they were seated by us they never engaged in conversation. Face down with their fingers flying over the screen they were talking to someone, just not each other. I pointed this out to my brother and told him that his is what the 21st century is all about. Emoji and text messages, no real conversations.
I then pulled out my phone. A flip phone that I have to push the number two three times to get to the letter A. He asked me how I managed to survive with this type of technology. I explained to him it was simple: The phone rings, I answer. If I do not recognize the number, I do not answer. Texts are answered in the police 10 code. You would be amazed how much you can say in just a few short numbers. The numbers 76, 23 or 21 can mean so much to others who know what you’re saying. Even my wife, who never served in law enforcement, knows what I mean when I text those numbers to her.
I will admit that it is getting more difficult with the flip phone. I ordered Reds tickets a few weeks ago for a game. I had to download an app — not going to happen — and then they would send me the tickets. In the past, an email would let you print those tickets out. Today, it has to be by electronic device. So, a few emails and phone calls, the Reds indicated that I could get my tickets at will call. With my receipt in hand, I walked up, only to have the agent tell me that she had no clue what she was suppose to do. A few minutes later, with three paper tickets in hand, and missing the first half of the first inning, we entered the stadium.
With the advent of pandemic passports soon to be at hand, I know that there will be a problem for me and others who eschew this type of technology. I do not know what this will bring for me.
In the meantime, my phone rings, I answer. I do not get announcements over the Internet about the latest thing that the Kardashians have or have not been doing. I ignore that ads for $900 phones, knowing that if my phone breaks I can go to any store and buy a new one for about the price of a tank of gas.
Yes, I am old fashioned. But then again I am not walking into trees due to the fact that I am looking at my phone rather than paying attention as to where I am or what I am about to hit.
Mark C. Medlyn of Brown County is an occasional community columnist. A graduate of Bloomington High School South and Indiana University, he has worked as a police officer and an adjunct college instructor, authored a textbook on the Illinois vehicle code, and became a substitute teacher in Illinois upon his retirement from full-time law enforcement in 2007. He and his wife, a retired university instructor, have been Brown County property owners since 2015.
