It’s funny the little things that we take for granted in the “real world”. Little things like lights, carpet, fast internet, and cell phones. It was not that far in the past that a phone meant a big square box connected to a wall. Kids would talk for hours to their friends but only if it was a local call. Long distance was something that you avoided because of the exuberant fees. If you were out and about and needed to make a call that meant that you had to feed quarters into a payphone, make a collect call, or use a calling card.
Then sometime in the 90’s cell phones started to pop up everywhere. First they were in your car in a bag. Then there were big chunky phones you could carry with you. Next we had cell phones start to shrink in size and the expensive minutes and cell phone plans started to come down in price but you still had to watch that you didn’t roam onto a non-network cell tower. Then everything changed…
Cell phone plans became affordable. There were no longer roaming fees. Family plans meant that six year olds were carrying phones with them “for emergencies” that didn’t exist. Then text messaging started to replace actually using cell phones as phones. People started to cancel their landlines for the convenience and portability of a cell phone. Phones became smarter and soon were allowing people to surf the internet, play games, listen to music, and empowered people to remain connected everywhere they went.
I’ve been a cell phone user since the mid-90’s and took all of this for granted. I’d carry my iPhone with me everywhere. I always felt connected to family, friends, news, and a world of information. Then it was all gone.
My phone is shut off and lost somewhere in my duffel bag among uniforms, socks, magazines for my M4, a gas mask, spare boots, and a chemical warfare suit. Checking e-mail is only accomplished using the slow satellite internet that costs a fortune. Phone calls are no longer easy to do, but that’s mainly due to the time difference. Cell phones are a luxury that I won’t be partaking in while I’m here.
Yes, there are cell phones here but the only people have them seem to be the young Soldiers. I have no idea what the plans cost, but they are probably spending a huge percentage of pay for their services. I’m going to find out how much they pay in the next couple of days for clarification, but it’s probably at least 10 times the price that we’ve grown accustomed to in the states.
I really feel an enormous disconnect with the world with no cell phone. I’m sure that this feeling will slowly fade over the coming months. I’m sure that the phantom cell phone vibrations that I feel are going to gradually become a distant memory. I’m sure that eventually I’ll stop checking my pocket to make sure that my cell phone is there will stop. I’m also sure that I will not stop enjoying people not talking on cell phones everywhere or people walking around talking on their Bluetooth headsets.
When the day finally comes that I set foot on the old US of A and wrap my arms around my lovely wife, hug my family and friends for the first time in months there will be one thing I will also be doing…digging my cell phone out of my bags and once again…turning on my cell phone and feeling connected once again to the world.
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