'Smartphoning'

Here I sit in my recliner staring at the screen, not even knowing where to start or what to write about. My lovely Apple computer mostly sits untouched these days, as I haven't felt well enough to spend time on it. Even the home keys feel a little bit unfamiliar after the last couple of weeks I've spent 'Smartphoning'!

I'm now super hip with my Droid. Being hip wasn't the point, of course. Several weeks into treatment, I realized that the inability to get to the computer to check email, look up a website or go on Facebook left me too isolated and lonely. Right now my entire world comes to me through technology.

So two weeks ago, I got a smart phone. I have iPhone envy, but after endless (and obsessive researching) I decided on the Droid so that I could stick with the Verizon network. I've pretty much spent all of my energy learning how to use it, getting it set up and checking in with my world again. It's given me a sense of mastery to figure out how to use it and customize it to my needs (including making the virtual keyboard pink!).

It's lovely to have email, texting, chat, web search, Facebook, and all of my contacts all in one place. I can download podcasts of things like the NPR Shuffle or Most Emailed Stories, listen to Pandora radio, check the weather and set the alarm to remind me to take my midodrine. And, of course, there is an 'app' for everything, but I haven't spent too much time searching the market for those yet.

I'm back in touch with the outside world again and it feels good. I love that I can check in with my mom over chat while she's at work, follow the happenings on Facebook, and most of all, read emails again. I can go on for just a couple of minutes at a time and then rest. Instead of trying to hurry through an email because I need to go lie down, I can lie on the sofa and really savor the email. And I can re-read it any time I want to.

So far I'm not too great at typing on it. How do the 'young folks' make their thumbs type so quickly? And I have not figured out how to be Miss Brevity yet. But if this phone doesn't teach me that, I do not know what will! I am excellent at clicking the 'Like' button on Facebook, so make sure you check to see who likes your updates! :)

I've still been bad about getting lovely emails and wanting to write a long response. Instead of writing something, I write nothing because I don't know how to say what I want to say more briefly. That falls in my 'to work on' category of personal growth this year.

One of my other concerns is maintaing balance now that I have constant access to email and the internet...but I think I've used my energy for the day and will try to address that another day!

Just a little check-in from my blog to let you know I'm back in touch with the outside world, thanks to this very generous gift from Dad and Abbie.

Today, I'm 13 weeks into treatment. Hooray!

Hope your 2010 is off to a good start!

Blessings,

Emily

Photos: The Droid