Just about any smart phone user will tell you that they are addicted, that they couldn’t live without their phone. Especially if you’re waiting for an important email or call or are waiting in a long line. I’ve used an iPhone since 2007 and cannot imagine being without it. And it’s saved a lot of room in my purse.
- A watch I used to wear one everywhere. The battery in my favorite watch died a couple of years ago, my daughter Elizabeth told me she never liked that watch anyway (I still do), and I really haven’t missed it, as my iPhone is now my watch.
- Alarm clock Who needs one? My iPhone wakes me up in the morning. Bonus points for being with me everywhere I go, so I don’t have to try to figure out the weird controls on the alarm clock in the hotel room.
- Point & shoot camera I have a pretty nice one that I almost never use anymore. It’s the difference between the ability to instantly upload the photos and waiting until I get home to connect the camera to my computer. Not to mention trying to find that cable that connects the camera to the computer.
- People to give me directions Thank goodness. You know when someone — trying to be helpful — tells you something like, “Go down this road, take the first left, then take the next right, then at the yellow house turn left, and … ” I could never handle that. You lost me at “take the first left … ” No need now. Even Apple’s hinky new Maps app has worked for us without fail.
- The Bible Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have the physical/paper ones. But I almost never use them. Why? Because I’m old and I can’t see that darned tiny print. On my phone and/or iPad, I can make the text bigger. And I always have it with me.
- Books Kinda like the Bible. Except different, because sometimes I’m in the mood to read about baseball, sometimes I want to read something geeky, and sometimes I just want to chill with something mindless. I remember having to decide which books to take with me, then having to carry them all because I couldn’t decide.
- Crossword puzzle magazines My New York Times app takes care of that for me.
- Newspaper I remember when I used to read the newspaper while eating breakfast. I still do the electronic equivalent, but now it consists of checking RSS feeds, Twitter and Facebook.
- JAMJAM1 Remember calling JAMJAM1 to find out the time & temperature? Now I know the temperature by the hour, here in Memphis, in Anchorage and International Falls.
- Photos in my wallet Remember the little plastic thingies that came with every new wallet? I always had to pick and choose so my wallet wouldn’t get so bulky. Now I can bore you for hours with photos of my grown children, my dogs and Busch Stadium.
What did I miss? What’s no longer in your pocket/purse because you use a smart phone?
Excellent article, Beth! Now I’m free to clean out my purse
I hadn’t yet thought of getting rid of some of those items.
Ha! Thanks! Not that I haven’t replaced some of the stuff with *other* stuff. But my load is definitely lighter!
Awesome article and SO true.
JAMJAM1 … What a blast from the past
Thank you! So you do remember calling to get the temp before school.