Independence?

Today I went to the store without my phone. ON PURPOSE. 

I needed to go out for two items. (One was out of stock when I was shopping across town yesterday, and I completely forgot to purchase the other item. Oops.) The closest store is located exactly half a mile from my house. I could have driven there in three minutes but decided to walk because it is lovely out today, I wanted to get outside and move, and I had plenty of time. My phone was (and still is) charging and I thought to myself, "Self, what if we just left the phone here to charge?" Before me and myself could start debating it too heavily, I grabbed my keys, sunglasses, an insulated bag, and I walked out the door. 

Post-Walk Selfie. It's still plugged in. 

I was gone a total of 25 minutes. 

I spent the first three convinced that one of my children would end up in the school nurse's office with a broken limb or a volatile stomach virus. They would call me, then worry when I failed to answer the phone. Then my husband or parents would receive a phone call -being next in line on the emergency contact list- and they would worry as to why I didn't answer my child's call. People would be upset at me for being out of reach!

After a deep breath, I convinced myself that I could be away from my phone for half an hour. People go that long without answering their phones during important meetings or when they are bathing, right? My parents parented without constantly being accessible by phone, as did their parents before them, and so on and so on, and humanity has survived up to this point. Surely, I can take a quick trip to the store without the world crumbling down around me. 

So I walked -quickly- and made sure to empty my brain of extra thoughts and instead pay attention to the world around me. I noticed the trees, some very dormant, some beginning to think about waking up as if Winter is over. I smiled through a window at a dog sunning itself on the back of a couch. I appreciated the cool air and the warm sun and the feel of my feet on the pavement. I felt happy. 

Then I purchased my two items (sliced cheese and Italian sausage, if you must know) and walked back home. 

And you know what? I didn't miss a single call. Not even a robot telling me my non-existent car loan payment was overdue. 

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Currently Reading: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson and Why We Can't Wait by MLK Jr. (on audiobook)