Fourteen hours is the average amount of time a person has their cell phone by his or her side. I can honestly say that I beat that statistic. My cell phone is by my side 99% of the time (or roughly 23 3/4 hours!). The few times I have left it in another part of the house, I missed important calls or texts. So.... I'm very rarely without my mobile device. Oh yes, I also use it as my alarm clock.
My Samsung Galaxy Note II is my lifeline to my three sons. While I'm in Illinois residing with my parents, they still live in wild & wonderful West Virginia. I miss the ability to hop in the car and be in my sons' physical presence within a half hour. So my cell phone helps satisfy the urge to at least hear their voices any time and anywhere.
Today I am so glad I had my smart phone with me during a rather frantic time. Even though the potential for stormy Midwest weather was imminent, I decided to pay a visit to the local Walmart for some items I needed for my upcoming trip back to West Virginia. Not five minutes after I entered the store, I could hear the rain pummeling the rooftop. Oh well, I'll just wait it out - it won't last for long. Wrong! The next thing I hear is the tornado siren - a sound I had not heard for over 32 years, having lived away from Tornado Alley all this time.
Immediately thereafter, an announcement is made that all customers need to move to the back of the store. So I calmly made my way back to a hallway near the restrooms where I saw some anxious and some calm faces. Boy was I glad I had my phone with me! I was happy that I could access the weather to see what the radar was showing - it didn't look good. More importantly, I was able to call my parents to let them know I was safely tucked away in the back of the store; I was happy to hear that they were safely tucked away in their basement.
Next, my fingers got busy texting my children and my siblings, followed up with a status update on Facebook. Instantly, I started getting replies on Facebook and texts from family members, saying quick prayers and asking if I was okay. I was calm because I felt connected to my loved ones even though they weren't by my side and I had faith that everything would be okay.
Twenty minutes later, the all clear sign was given and we were allowed to be on our way. While everything turned out positive in my town, my youngest sister's town 15 miles away didn't fare as well. A tornado did touch down there and damaged or destroyed at least 30 homes and businesses.
I will tell you - it's not a great feeling being separated from everyone you love when you're in a scary situation. I was so very glad to have my smartphone with me, by my side. I think I'll keep it that way! Thank goodness it's a mobile world!!
No comments:
Post a Comment