dial tone...

Today, I am switching phone carriers. It has been a long work in progress, but it's time. For the past two point five years, I have had a cute little vintage (archaic) flip phone that has been like a brother to me.

Before Flippy came into my life, during the days of working at that famous little burrito joint, I had a BlackBerry. I got it before the days of the iPhones and touchscreens, before apps were created by the millions, before FaceTime meant anything to anyone. And my thumb was permanently glued to it's little glowing orb. I hated it. I mean, I didn't know I hated it, but I did. Constant access to email and, well, email, and email was consuming and daunting. After leaving the famous little burrito joint to pursue full-time photography, I had to find a new phone plan, and leave the lovely, expenses paid phone behind. Along with a new Volvo. And paid benefits. What was I thinking?

Oh yeah. Visions of self-employment. Sorry. I got lost in the enticement of a consistent paycheck for a moment. But only for a moment. The sacrifice is totally worth it, people, all sarcasm aside...

After recognizing my obsession with all the electronic instant gratification, I knew I needed to step away. Immediately. My budget also needed me to step away, as $90/month was out of my comfort zone. So, little Flippy and I began our love affair in late 2010. I re-learned how to T9 text, and I also discovered it was okay, healthy even, to check email a few times a day. I showered little Flippy with compliments - his battery life lasted three days without a charge. Three DAYS. I had to charge the BlackBerry literally three times/day. Can you understand my joy?

So, given the consistency and break from electronic addiction Flippy provided me, I am sorry to announce little Flippy's best days are over. One side of his hinge is busted, and he often hangs at an awkward, painful angle. The charger makes an inconsistent connection at best. I also find myself, more and more often, calling my brother to check on an email, or look up an address while I'm out of town or driving to meet a client.

Knowing that my contract is up, and Flippy is thisclose to being completely broken, I decided I would once again give the smart phone a chance. Using a pre-paid plan, I'm able to save thousands of dollars over a two-year period (it's true, people - those contracts end up making you pay big money in the long run) and have a sweet phone to boot.

Why, oh why, then, has it been so difficult to make the actual switch? All I've needed to do, the the past three days, is make a call with my pin # to have my number ported. And I just... can't... do it. I've literally spent hours fowarding saved text messages to my email. I've sent saved voicemails to another number so they can be resent after my new phone is up and running.  I transferred photos via bluetooth to my new phone. Yet, pulling the plug has been stupidly difficult. I think I have nostalgic electronic hoarding tendencies. Little Flippy has been through some big stuff with me - starting a business, the birth of my nephew, and the budding of a new relationship and all the ooey-gooey texts and phone calls that go with it. There are also the sweet little love notes from my parents, the funny photos my dad sends, including the text, "dad sez hi", and the birthday call from my almost 90-year old grandma who has the impressive memory of an elephant (she has so many grandbabies and great-grandbabies, I can't even count them... and yet she takes time to wish me a happy day - I swoon).

I know switching phones doesn't make any of those memories less memorable. I know the special words and photos are now saved in other forms and not even lost.  All of these common sense things, I know.

It's just a little difficult to say goodbye.  Brian says it's time for him to go to pasture. I hope it's a happy little electronic pasture full of similar devices and motherboards that have had a good run.

Bye, bye, Flippy. Sorry your owner is such a crazy.