I do not own a cell phone, and quite frankly do not want one.
Yes I do understand these are useful tools, in fact I suggested my mom and other other older persons get one, in case of an emergency, such as car trouble or when she is out with others of her age and a medical situation should arise.
Yes, I have carried one, both an in-house phone when I worked in a hospital, regular cell phone when on call, or, someone loaned me one for various things going on.
There are some fussing at me to at least get a TracPhone, for emergency use. I honestly keep putting it off on purpose.
Cell phone is just another tool in the toolbox - not the only tool in the toolbox.
Just like firearms are.
I have rarely dialed 911, I dial LEO direct. I am a product of the times of and how raised. My nature is being one that does not like being tethered, I don't meddle, and therefore do not want to be meddled with. I try to use manners,and be respectful -be this in personal or business settings.
We did not have our own phone line, we shared a phone line that was called a "party line".
No 911 back then. We were self reliant, we had to be, no telling when the Police, or Sheriff, or State Police would show up, we called direct.
We knew our neighbors, we pitched in and did what had to be done.
We communicated with each other before we left the house, had schedules that we had, and kept. One did what they had to do and did not dilly-dally / willy- nilly around.
If going to go to market, get shoes for a kid and due back at noon, you were back at noon. If you were not, you had called a neighbor, work, whatever and said the tire had a flat, put you a little late, and would be in by 1pm.
Pay phones. Every person from a child to elderly had "phone money" and knew how to use a pay phone, and knew the numbers to call.
Education and Communication. Parenting.
We were about / around 8 and found a blasting cap around a construction site downtown. Serious? Sure. Did we freak out and run like little girls with hands flaying? No.
I and another stood watch and told folks to stand back, others became part of a wide "fence" to keep folks away. One went to find the beat cop, another called, using "phone money" kept in her shoe, to call Police direct.
Beat Cop gave her a dime to replace her "phone money" and back into her tennis shoe that dime went. Fire Dept came, construction site folks came and done deal.
Common Sense, Courtesy, Respect, Moderation in everything...just some of the lessons that used to be part of the norm, that has gone totally out the window and not Parented anymore.
Cell phones, firearms and what have you - are not used in Moderation.
Folks go from one extreme to the other. From no phone/ gun to the total extreme of being obsessed that these things drive their every waking moments.
We had plain old guns we carried on person, and kept at home or business. WE knew the laws, we knew how to shoot, we knew how to take care of ourselves when we had to deal with it.
Gov't has brainwashed, and Marketing has assisted in making folks less self reliant and more dependent on Gov't and others. Personally, I refuse to be a part of this action, by NOT doing exactly what the Gov't , Marketing is wanting me to do. They can pound sand up their nose, I am going to rebel like hell.
I do not need, nor will I own, a 32# Syn Stocked Ultimate Shotgun in Coyote Brown with Team Walrus logo with a 27 round mag extension full of 4.5" ZombieBreath loads.
I gotta CCW, very simple. I was handed a simple cell phone with buttons I could see, and not in some odd off the wall pattern, and no stupid picture taking feature , to have while someone was dying, and I was taking a relative to the bank to mess with safety deposit boxes.
Hell I have done the same thing before cell phones.
Never ever ever get yourself dependent on one tool, or ideology of tool.
Folks think I am kidding, but I have had large sums of valuables, no cell phone, one handgun [bone stock K frame, or Gov't model of 1911] driven 300 miles and not had one darn problem not having a Sat phone and umpteen well armed Elite folks running with me.
Good grief, I went out to my truck to get smokes, and did not have a CCW on person. I coulda been kilt.
Not poking fun at bogie, I have too much respect for bogie, I really do.
My point is, just think, use some common sense, assess your needs and use tools for task. Tools being plural. Have a back up plan, and another.
I have seen folks totally freak out when cell signal down and never had any idea of using a pay phone, or even asking a business owner, with courtesy and all if they could borrow a phone to call someone.
I still little packets of KY akin to ketchup packets at fast food places are a great idea.
When a person asks where they can put their phone so they won't lose it...toss 'em a KY packet....
