40 Day Fast from the Phone

The time that I spend on the phone is...embarrassingly...to much. My day is constantly interrupted by phone calls that I have found an addicted. I am loosing some major priorities in my everyday life, because I am addicted to the phone. Just so that we are clear on what an addiction is, I bugged Webster for the definition. addiction: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful


I confess that I get bored, and I want to talk to someone. I feel lonely other times and just want to hear another person's voice to respond to and begin the volley of question, answer, comment, answer and so on. I enjoy language and I also wonder what people think about different things. Sometimes I need a bit of advice from my mother regarding my son, or a question during a culinary crisis would maybe save the dish from disaster.

Cell phones have become the ultimate crutch in many people's life, and especially my own. In theory, a cell phone can be a life saver if there is trouble with an automobile on the road or you are lost and need directions. Unfortunately, it has made me less prompt or back out of plans at the very last minute. If I am late to something, people start calling to find out if I am ok, or if I am ever going to show up. I then stop and answer the phone which continues to make me more late or an unsafe driver as I am searching for my phone. I shouldn't talk on the phone while I am driving. I can pay better attention to the road if I am not talking on a phone, and look out for careless drivers who are still on their phones while driving.

After analyzing this ideas for a couple of hours, but talking about it for weeks, I feel that it is necessary for me to have a fast from the phone. Biblically, fasting to encourage a strong point can go on for 40 days. Considering that this fast is not from food, I think that 40 days probably isn't long enough! During this fast, I do not plan to eliminate communication from friends and loved ones, but to channel that communication into mail or e-mail. I do feel that my use of the phone could possible be the persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.

I hope to accomplish more things in my daily schedule without minutes being spent on the phone hashing out the daily drama of life. If something can't be put in a letter or e-mail it shouldn't be said. Activities and plans should have advance warning, planning, and foresight and a letter or email should allow enough time before the activity or engagement. During the past week, I have been maligned by gossip and hearsay. Conversations that I felt were understood to be in confidence were made public by an unfeeling and manipulative individual. The damage that has been caused from the fall out of this telephone conversation has forced me to rearrange my priorities and value my time well spent in other areas.

Letter writing in our society has become a thing of the past. I am sure that people wrote and received letters that were nasty or hurtful. Ultimately, if someone has penned with their own hand cruelties towards another person, at least there is a paper trail to prove liars and to prove truth as well. Letter writing used to be one of my favorite pastimes, and I am hoping to revive many of those by spending no time on the phone.

So to "talk" I will be dusting off all of my stationary, and buying a book of stamps. It can't cost more than a long distance phone call, and yet what price can be placed on the safety and kindness of words that can only be sent in an envelope?