These days, living without a phone, which is a very important and necessary asset in the present generation is impossible. Be it a 10yr old innocent or an 80yr old proud grandma, everybody has to own a phone! There was a time when cell phones were used by a limited class of people. I hardly knew how to operate a cell phone or know of its features when I was 10 and now surprisingly a class 5 student is well aware about the features and functions of a cell phone.
You may think that I am talking about the same old story or lamenting a lecture on cell phone usage. Well, I myself do not have a phone from last one and a half years!
All this time, I observed everyone’s reaction on not having a cell phone (Cheap thrills, you see). I received enough weird looks when I told them that I don’t own one. Few people (the older class) appreciated this move of mine and well they get a chance brood about the present generation’s addiction to what once used to be the television set. Friends and fellow co-workers thought I was lying since I didn’t want to give them my number, and a few others criticized me at times when they got annoyed as there was no means of communication.
Yeah, I do realize that it is a must to carry a phone is necessary and not that all the users misuse it. And besides, I really don’t know why I didn’t even feel comfortable using a phone. Many people think its because of my profession that I don’t use a phone.
My job profile is simple although out of the ordinary. I am Student Counselor at the Swift Educational Consulting Group. I guide students to choose their profession abroad, which, I feel is a very Interesting job because, after all, it’s a Service Industry. I meet new people every day and receive more than 60-70 inquiry calls. I direct them to call on my office line where I am reachable most of the times. I think I even gave it to few of my close buddies (Swim mates) and they simply cried with shock.
I was surprised when one of my colleagues said you look so modern and yet you don’t have a phone, which really didn’t make any sense to me (does it?). Well, there was a time when I did own a cell phone. A year and a half ago my father gifted me a fabulous nokia set (it was mostly awesome because it was Pink and was also my first phone.) I was pretty much attached to it like everyone else until the day my sister landed in Bangalore, my home-tow back then.
My Sister: A very sweet, cute and naughty girl who has the uncanny habit of leaving things behind where ever she goes. She has proudly misplaced more than 8 phones. Now that she came to Bangalore all her eyes were on my new Singapore phone (I forgot to mention! It’s a Singaporean phone). I had hardly used it for three months. It was then that the disaster occurred. Within 3 months after it went into the loving care of my dearest sister, did my beloved pink phone stopped functioning and my phone landed in what the medical specialists call as coma. From then on I hadn’t shown much interest on taking a phone. Maybe I loved my pink phone more than life.
All this time I thank facebook for keeping me alive virtually and share happiness with my (annoying) friends.
And finally, the day came when the CEO of the company calls me and suggested me that I take a phone. I think it’s time that I finally head back to a normal life. Dad took my request for a phone as a pleasant surprise. I obviously refused for a new one (girls like me come easy on the pockets *winks*) and he handed me his old set.
So, people I have a phone now and it feels great. *Laughs*. Silly me!
-Shilpa Naidu
to actually get her phone number log on to http://www.facebook.com/shilpa.cms
Beat Up Shaun With Delight! 