On October 16, I left my phone at home. I know, shocking. I was trying to finish up two assignments and then get ready quickly and then go straight to school I mean, the class didn’t start until 12 so I did have time to work on the assignments, which I used completely to my advantage. But I forgot to add in the time it would take to commute to school I rushed to throw everything I’d need for the day, notebooks, folder, calculator, water bottle, a little bit of everything.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I got to campus and got out of the car did I realize the inevitable: I left my phone at home.
I knew it was too late. I was already on campus, me and my mom carpooled to campus together so it wasn’t like I had a way of going home, and I had actually just made it for my first class of long classes that day. With nothing left to do, I sulked in my seat as the professor tried his usual way of comedy and joy. Typically smiling and laughing with the rest of my peers, I was just not having it. All I thought about was wanting my phone, even if I didn’t use it in class but just having it with me, like a small child carrying their favorite toy.
The class eventually ended and I went on to the next class, no music in my ears and no device in my hand. I started to look at nature and notice just how beautiful it actually is. Trees starting to lose their leaves, the squirrels starting to collect acorns for foods. I also noticed how many people really rely on their phones.
In my second and final classes, I started to get over my feeling of missing my phone and just be present in class. I noticed that I was a bit happier not having that little weight in my pocket. Looking around at my peers and other students and even other faculty members that were glued to their phones while I was simply walking to and from class. I was perfectly calm and a little happier that I didn’t have something to be glued to.
After a long day of classes and two stores with some friends, I came home to 92 notifications from social media, emails, messages, and one phone call. I thought about answering all them but I took a moment and thought, “Do I want to live my life glued to my phone, or be present and actually live my life? To be honest, I took one photo on Snapchat and then I put my phone on my charger and put it away the rest of the night I spent time with my family and my dog, Mina. I even got more work done with fewer distractions and that day was a lesson that I was so glad to learn.