the straw that broke the camel's back

We are gathered here to attend the condolence ceremony held in the honor of the dearly departed companion, right hand man and confidante’ of Ravneet Sangha. The life span of affectionate companion, the harbinger of secrets was a mere four years, and it performed all its duties assigned to it with utmost dedication and diligence and in today’s times with complete loyalty.

This was the message poste don a face book status update, an event had been created whereby everyone concerned is invited to say a few words or post their messages along with their virtual extensions.

I know this sounds bizarre, but this is how I feel. I am left without my trusty extension. A virtual smart phone is just not a phone (all those advertisements are true) for once the spiel sold by the agencies and companies is true. My phone, my first cell phone so lovingly gifted has seen its share of drama, weddings, parties, captured funerals, elections, and nature and also tried to capture my old man in the moon. It’s been a note pad where I have rambled on, my thoughts and amateurish attempts at writing and musings.

The phone has also been a recorder of all human emotions from dressing up for weddings, to recording the kids growing up, to various life incidents.

When did I become so dependent on an inanimate object? A few weeks ago a friend in a social networking site had posed a question where she said, what is the impact of technology? And, I had been smug and thought that I am oblivious to all this addiction but no I am in the same boat like the rest of the world. It is so easy to be judgmental and to pass comment on others.

I think, no actually I say with utmost conviction we alive our lives via the phone. We remain in contact with our friends, work contacts, the world, the mali and most importantly the bai and the boutique wali ! Every one from the sabzi wallah , to the  doodhwallah to the teachers, to the secretary sahib of the building has a phone number, We live our lives, remain in contact with regular updates on world, sports , drama and the lifeline of our lives politics via this 2’x4’ touch screen . This complex yet simple screen that has toddlers also using it faster than adults holds our lives in place. It would not be wrong to say the crux of our lives is the phone.

And how could I miss out on those short bursts of calls that were so important to my life, the ones that had all the teasers of gossip! How would I survive without them?

I wonder, what to do? Do I give in to the temptation and buy myself another phone or should I rise above?

Well, who am I? A mere mortal, even Adam gave into an apple and I am guilty of just buying an Apple product. Forgive, me lord, for I am sinning.