Unplugging and reconnecting
On a recent international trip, I misunderstood my cell phone’s data plan and ended up exceeding my limit. The result? I was marooned on wifi, my internet reach limited to the distance the nearest network gave me. My initial response was dismay and, I’ll admit, a bit of angst. I’ve had a cell phone for only six years, but it took less than one weekend, back in August 2013, for me to be hooked on what was, for me, an extraordinary new toy tool that put the world of information and inter-connection into my hand. I don’t understand how it works, but I surely understand the benefits those invisible points of cellular connection grant me. Sure, sometimes I dislike being so easily ‘getable’ — by those who have my number and by those that have my meta data. But, mostly, I love being able to access information that I want (and sometimes genuinely even need) whenever and wherever I am, and I really love being able to take a photo and share it via social media or email it to my f...