Since August is the month of the buy local challenge and everyone is going all hippie on my ass, I have deduced that this is as good a time as any to simplify. Granted, my own life is already sadly simple, so I guess I am really imploring everyone ELSE to simplify. Slow down, it’s summer. Go watch the weigh-ins at the White Marlin Open, and think about how lucky you are to not be a dead fish hanging upside down from a scale in front of hundreds of people. Unplug.

Specifically, unplug your cell phone. I shamefully admit that I have a sad beef with smart phones. I have an LG flip phone. There I said it. It takes me two full minutes to send a text message, since I have to do things like press the 7 button four times to get an S. I’m alright with that, though. Because YOUR unlimited monthly data plan probably costs as much as a car payment (okay, so probably just a Kia payment, but they’re still technically cars), and you had to sign a 30 year contract with AT&T and promise them your firstborn child. Honestly, if an exchange requires more than 2 texts back and forth either way, for heaven’s sake just call.

What bothers me the most is when I’m with one friend or a group of people out somewhere, and everyone is on their smart phones uploading pictures of things like cars in traffic and posting them to Facebook, or checking in on Foursquare. To me that just says “You’re alright and all, but truth be told, my 700 cyber friends/followers and their goings-on are more interesting than you and whatever it is we’re doing/talking about, so I’m just gonna see what everyone else is up to real quick, and update them on how much fun I’m pretending to have”. And why is it that bringing up phones is like starting a debate about religion or politics? People have such strong opinions about their smart phones. It’s only a matter of time before the Droid-ies and Iphoners declare global war on each other. Each side will always belive that they are right, and will never ever ever see the other’s point of view. Like Congress.

In the interest of living more simply and in a sustainable way, in a perfect world everyone would put down their phones for just a day a reconnect with what’s actually in front of them. Obviously that wont’ happen. Granted, I realize I have an old soul, and I realize that keeping up with Steve Jobs is what everyone strives to do nowadays. But how cool would it be to go old school and communicate solely via rocket flares if it was a legal and viable option? Or verbally and in person? Just for a day.