Portrait of a Mom, month 12 (regarding mobile phones).

Everything in culture moves in 20-year cycles, plus or minus a few. There will be a resurgence at some point of flip phones in some guise, and future humans yet to be born now will marvel at their charm.

I held out for a long time on getting a smartphone because I knew once I had one, there was no going back, and I would wonder how I got by without one. And it's true. I am grateful for it. I am writing on one at this moment. One that Steve Jobs handcrafted himself, I think.

But my phone also has ample time to hibernate, nap, and get along without me. I still have my trusty notebook and black gel pen** that I tote along with me everywhere. And use. Some things never go out of style, even as they age and go through various changes. And growth. And of course, all things electrical need recharging, including humans.

Month 12

June 2008