How did we survive....

pan·ic

   [pan-ik] noun, adjective, verb, -icked, -ick·ing.

noun

1. a sudden overwhelming fear, with or without cause, that produces hysterical or irrational behavior, and that often spreads quickly through a group of persons or animals.

2. an instance, outbreak, or period of such fear.

Last night I had to take Abby to choir practice.   I left at 6:15pm to get to the church by 6:30pm and am to pick her up at 7:10pm.  So overall, I was gone for a little over an hour.

I forgot my phone.

What?  What will I do?  What if someone needs to call me or email me or text me or "hey tell" me?  Will the world end in the next hour?  I have no idea because I DON'T HAVE MY PHONE!

How is it that we've become so dependent on a phone, albeit a Smart Phone?  I remember in the olden days where I would send Sam (you know, the one with special needs!) off to school and run errands and there was no way to get a hold of me.  If someone called, I'd have to wait til I got home to check caller ID.  If someone had left me a message, I would just have to wait til I checked the answering machine.  GASP!  I remember being stuck in the ER for 15 hours with 3 year old Sam and 3 week old Abby and I had to use a wall phone!  

How did we ever get along without our cell phones?  Did our life have less purpose back then?  Why are we so consumed with being "available" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year?  

I'd kind of like to have a balance between "the good old days" and "nowadays".  I'm actually the type who turns off the cell phone at night.  Crazy, I know!  I know some people who sleep with their iphones (I will not name and names, you know who you are).

I just don't want to be so connected all the time.  

I still like to tell my kids...."I remember when we didn't have cell phones"  or the classic line, "I didn't get a cell phone til I was 30!"

That was only just last year you know...