Cellular crutch

Today is December 1. In exactly 36 days I will be detached from my cell phone for three months.

Disturbed isn't the right word to describe my feelings on this issue. Excited may be more like it. After all, it will be quite the adventure. Allow me to break down the history.

At age 16, my parents invested in my first cell phone. It was one of those now prehistoric Nokias, but thankfully nothing similar to the "Zach Morris model." Five years and two phone models later, I still have the same number and provider, but my, how things have changed. My reliance upon that business-card sized accessory has far exceeded "emergency calls only."

My cell phone has become my home, business and social advocate line all in one. When my wireless bill came last month, I added up the total minutes I'd spent on the phone and divided it by 30 days. The end result shocked me: I spent one hour and 59 minutes talking every day, a total of 14 hours per week.

At least I'm not the only one. According to a report done by the Federal Communications Commission, in 2000 Americans talked for 221 minutes per month on average. Then in 2003, the FCC reported that Americans were on their phones an average of 458 minutes per month, over twice as long as compared to three years earlier. Though I've still got the average beat by a good hour and 45 minutes per day, it's a rather significant shift in our country's operation.

The thought of turning off my precious commodity for three months means a huge shift in how I operate. As if immersing myself in different culture isn't enough, now I have to leave behind my personal assistant.

My Samsung has become my lone database for contact information. I haven't had to memorize a phone number for five years. Thanks to SIM cards, the numbers are all "in my phone" with convenient graphics for the recipient's corresponding device.

My cell now takes the role of saving me from oversleeping by offering a friendly alarm. I take photos with it whenever I forget my camera. It even reminds me of grandma's birthday.

By leaving it behind, I will be forced to run things in a more conventional manner: write down phone numbers, wake up on my own for the first time and invest in a camera. Seems like quite the hassle.

But like I said, it's an exciting adventure in the making. Without the convenience of dialing 411, getting lost becomes more than just a five-minute delay. It will force me to actually talk to the people around me rather than make comfort calls.

Losing my technological crutch will force me to look up and reach out for new and different resources, instead of always reaching down to find out who is calling next.