To text or not to text...

   Well, that is not really the question. The real question is to cell or not to cell.

   We Americans seem to have a real love affair with the mobile world, especially cell phones. I know that this attachment to anything cellular is a global phenomenon. I have seen images from all around the world, in places both rich and poor, with people using their cell phones. But I write from a perspective rooted deep in the mid-west, close to major urban areas and lots of cell phone towers. There is plentiful cellular service, 3G service and even rumored 4G service, though I have only seen the 4G emblem light up on my phone a handful of times. Oddly enough, one of these times was at the playground, a place I am not likely to use the service.

   For many years, I resisted my entry into the complex world of cellular innovation. When I finally did succumb, it was with a very simple, affordable pay as you go phone. The phone worked well, the price was right and I could usually get pretty good service (except in my own home). These two

options were a big boon for me as I really did not want to spend more money and I pretty much had the connectivity I needed. I could even text, although at a much slower speed than most of my contemporaries. Overall, I was happy for a number of years. Happy that is, until I was given a hand me down Apple Ipod from my lovely niece. With this new toy I could check my email from the back yard, laundry room and anywhere else that had WiFi. I added a texting app that let me communicate much more easily (again as long as I had WiFi). And the biggest draw - the calendar! I maintained a calendar that spanned multiple households and multiple projects and deadlines. To be able to see at a glance what was going on, to add and later update when I had WiFi connection was more than I had previously dreamed of.

   But dreams grow as people do. And technology ages and becomes somewhat obsolete rather quickly. When my mom bought her first smart phone, I began to realize the potential of such a powerful tool. My husband already had a smart phone through work. And the ease of use was luring. I could forgo waiting till I had WiFi to access my email, update my calendar and text. And there was a world of apps that could help with everyday chores, like grocery shopping and spreadsheets.

   So for a Mother's Day present I accepted a smart phone. I opted for a Galaxy SII, with sleek features and a service with no contracts and reasonable pricing for my budget. It was not the latest in smart phone technology (as the kids in my religious education class were quick to point out), but had decent reviews.

I quickly discovered that I could update my calendar, check my email, do my grocery shopping, take and save pictures, navigate to a new destination without getting lost twice in the trip, handle spreadsheets for a lighting design from the catwalk above the stage, scan documents and send them to their destination, find dinner recipes on the run and pick up ingredients on the way home, renew my library books at the dentist and even write drafts for my blog. I soon updated to a beefy battery and had to replace my SD card that died. I even learned how to answer and make phone calls from the device.

   But what do I not do with the device? Text while driving. Look at pictures while in traffic. I am even reluctant to talk while driving, and then only using hands free options.  I was appalled to read an article about truck drivers texting while driving, resulting in accidents and fatalities. Seriously? These are professional drivers! Why not just get the latest Steven King book and prop it up on the steering wheel? (Okay, I have seen this done on the expressway back in the days when I used to commute.)

   Reality always hits home when experienced first hand. Unfortunately first hand for me is in hand for others. Everyday I am exposed to individuals who would rather be somewhere else than behind a steering wheel. Can't say that I blame them, but driving is a very real necessity for many. I sat for five minutes waiting for the guy in the truck next to me to finish texting or emailing or whatever he was doing so that I could turn right at the intersection of my street and a busy thoroughfare. He had a big SUV/Truck and had pulled too far forward in the left lane for me to see around his vehicle. I had a choice between turning blindly and possibly getting creamed or waiting until he was done with his phone. I waited. Later that same day, I watched a woman run a red light while looking at her phone. Fortunately the other drivers were quick with their reflexes. Both streets at the intersection were 40mph. She never looked up as she drove away.

   I wish I could say these were isolated events. But the kids coming home from school Monday were showing the driver pictures on their phone as she drove at about 45mph down our side street. Stop sign was optional. The truck driver I encountered coming home from church on Sunday sat through a green light until it turned red as he was too engrossed in his conversation to pay attention to traffic. I know, I had to go around him and barely made the light myself. As did the other five cars behind him. Their horns did not phase him.

   Have I been tempted? Sure. My phone buzzes with alerts and rings with calls and dings with notifications, begging me to check in and make sure I am not missing something "important". But I have developed a maturity behind my usage. I figure that if the Pope calls while I am driving, he will leave a message. My smart phone is equipped with the novel invention of voice mail. It has been around for a few years. My emails remain in place till I get to them, and if I am desperate, there is a feature to have my texts read to me as they come in. Heck, I can even talk and send them if I like. This can be more accurate than my text typing, let me tell you.

   If I really, really want to see what the text was, or take the call. I pull over. Usually into a parking lot, sometimes off to the side of a quiet street. I put the car in park. Then I pull my phone out and have a look-see. There are times when I am waiting for a response or dealing with a family emergency. I have no desire to create another emergency by being careless.  My attention is already being sapped by kids in the back seat, billboards and signs on the roadway and myriad of other distractions, including a rumbling stomach. No need to add to it.

   Perhaps other people have better multitasking abilities than I do. I highly doubt it based on the evidence I have seen in person, not to mention the news reports and articles I have read. I ask everyone to please consider the question that Shakespeare posed at an earlier point in time - "To be, or not to be." I have chose to be where I am when I am driving, which is behind the wheel. I ask that you please let me and my loved ones continue to be by choosing not to text when you are driving. Better yet, not to cell when you are driving. And if you must cell, use those cool hands free features that come with your spiffy new device. I am not impressed with your phone if I can see it. I am impressed more by what I cannot see. I will thank you all time and time again for keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Ideally, if those are in place, part of your attention will be too.

   Hopefully next time I enter the time stream, I will see you on the road, and you will see me.