Cairo's Phone Frenzy

It was the winter of 1999 when a bright-eyed boy who was about to turn 15 was given a new toy. That boy was me. That toy was the Ericsson A1018.

Long gone are the days when we were easily fascinated and amused by what is now labeled obsolete. This hefty phone, which came with a blue face, a thick antenna, and a monochrome display had placed me under it's spell. Exploring its options (which could be counted on the fingers of one hand) was a source of joy for me, and it's weight in my pocket made me feel nervous yet excited at the same time. It was cherished dearly.

I have seen this happen over and over again. I've seen it happen even before I got my first cell phone. My first transistor radio. My first walkman. My first CD player. My first computer. My first ipod. The list can go on forever. Right now, I've got a Sony Ericsson smart-phone. But it just isn't as smart anymore. People are popping up left and right with new models, blackberries, iphones, ipads, and gadgetry I have never even heard of before.

Suddenly I feel so out of it.

Now I look at my smart-phone and feel that it might be of better use as a paper-weight. Or maybe a doorstop. It's heavy, looks like a brick, and would do the job well. I could use its stylus to pick out the crumbs between the letters of my keyboard every now and again. If I had my old Ericsson phone on me, I might consider using it again. Perhaps I could start a retro phone fad going. That way I could always have an excuse for not buying a pricey space age phone every two to three months.

 My phone in action as a paper-weight

When I go out with friends to have a meal, it wouldn't be strange for me to feel alone. I would push the food around the plate with my fork, with an elbow on the table, and my face leaning against my fist. When I look up from my plate, I sigh at the sight of my friends' faces, reflecting the glow from their phone displays. Even when I quip a blackberry joke, I would receive a chorus of grunts, 'huh?'s and the occasional 'sorry' before they fall back into their trance-like stupors.

Maybe you can drop that blackberry for one day in the weekend, and start a new fad with me. Find an old phone that's been collecting dust for a few years now, and power it up again. Let's go retro. Are you in?

'Huh?'