A year-and-a half ago I turned off the ringer on my phone, disabled all notifications and started leaving my phone at home when I was out. I had good reasons for doing this. Effectively, ever since then, nobody could contact me in real time. They could only leave a message for me to call them back.
As a result, my life had been very quiet and uninterrupted.
Well, that’s over and it’s because of a woman (TMF).
I love to hear from her. I don’t want to miss a call or text from her. These random contacts are like little bursts of joy in my day.
So I turned my ringer and notifications back on.
Today, TMF sent me a surprise early morning text that brought a smile to my face. A few hours later Atif texted me about the unexpected death of a former colleague. Bruce called me this afternoon and we spoke for an hour about TMF, parents, and life. Later, I received a series of texts from Craig and his girlfriend, who were advising me on some wardrobe upgrades.
None of this felt like a distraction or annoyance. In fact, it felt good to be connected.
It turns out that my “phone policy” didn’t only shield me from disturbances like robocalls, it shielded me from love, communication and friendships.
I’m glad to no longer be disconnected.