So, I'm sitting in a meeting at church Sunday afternoon when a man walks in the door and asks for help. He says he needs a gas card and some groceries. We tell him who he needs to talk to and he walks out the door. He stands on the sidewalk for a few minutes, then pulls out his phone and calls someone.
I don't have an iphone. There are lots of reasons why I don't. One reason is I buy my own groceries and gas. Maybe I am being jaded and cynical, but it bothered me.
I get asked a lot, "You don't have an iphone? Why not?" Again, there are lots of reasons. One reason is I don't need a phone to solidify my place in society. In the words of my awesome friend Lana, "Your phone is not a status symbol - it is a way to communicate."
So when did cell phones become our identities? I am a lot of things, but I am not my phone. I am an artist, a voracious reader, a wife, a mother, a lover of shoes, and a pretty good fiddle player.
I simply choose not to spend my money on things like iphones. I'm not criticizing those that do. If you have an iphone, that's fine. Really, it's ok. People who have iphones are not evil. It just bothers me when people who have iphones throw it in my face and try to make me feel second class because I choose to spend my money on something else. You are not making yourself look successful and amazing. You are making yourself look shallow and foolish. You look silly. If your phone defines who you are, then you aren't much.
To be perfectly honest, I could have an iphone if I wanted one. It's not a matter of the "haves" and the "have nots". I could re-arrange my spending habits and go buy an iphone this week. It's just not what I want to do. I know it's hard to believe, but I don't want to spend money on technology. It's not who I am. It's not what I do. It's not right or wrong, it's just me. That's all.
So, don't try to impress me with your phone. Phones don't impress me. People impress me. People who are intelligent, articulate, creative, loving, and passionate impress me. My friend who has helped countless refugee families settle into homes impresses me. My nephew who is currently in Belgium, sharing his faith with people on the streets impresses me. My husband who works endless hours to provide for our family impresses me. A fellow adoptive mother who moved to China to become a missionary in her daughters' homeland impresses me. Claude Monet, Kathy Thibodeaux, Chopin, Dr. Kim Duk Whang, Harper Lee . . . these people impress me. Good grief, the person who invented vanilla Dr. Pepper impresses me more than someone who simply bought an iphone.
So in honor of amazing people everywhere, here are the top 10 reasons I don't have an iphone:
10. I don't try to keep up with they Jones'. They try to keep up with me.
9. Bailey takes ballet at a private conservatory.
8. Zack plays sports.
7. I like to buy nice art supplies for both my children and myself.
6. I have 68 pairs of shoes.
5. I spend money on experiences instead of technology. I would rather climb a mountain, visit a museum, or go to a concert than have an iphone.
4. I am incredibly beautiful, smart, artistic, and talented. I don't need an iphone to convince others I am an amazing human being. My phone is not my status symbol.
3. My children's needs and wants come before my own. They are well-fed, well-clothed, and well-educated. We work hard to give them opportunities many children do not have. They live a full life.
2. I like to read books, not screens.
and the number one reason is ............
1. I don't want one.
