The Absent Uncle: We did it!
It was a momentous day at our house. A decision made; the Rubicon crossed. The dreaded upgrade of phones.
We have each had a model of the same brand of phone for years. The maker will go unnamed but a hint – it is not a fruit.
But changing the actual phone is a big deal. It’s like moving into a different house. Where you used to have certain apps – and just a click would take you into the site you wanted to go – well, it just wasn’t there anymore.
In my business days I dreaded the eventuality of the “upgrade” or software replacement. It usually meant disruption, a loss of the system working while everyone learned the “new system”. That dread was also on the personal side, with phones for Sherrill and I.
The big change is probably due to the long gaps between upgrades. What we were used to was technology from a day long gone by. But the cost of the technology upgrade has exploded. Gone are the days of the telephone carrier subsidizing the cost of the new phone through a new contract or extending your commitment to their service going forward.
Those days are long gone.
For many different practical reasons, we have replaced the cell phone at different times with different brands or models in the past. It made it hard to share insights or solve problems.
Certain functions on my phone would sporadically stop working and Sherrills always seemed to develop mystery problems that had to be worked around. With two phones, both with over four years of use, now it was time to replace both. This time, for the first time, we planned to purchase identical phones.
We looked at phones with features we wanted that were close to our price range and decided on the model to purchase. Unlike the “old days”, the phones were sent to us with instructions on how to put them into service, transfer our contacts and data from the old phones, and a phone number if we had a problem.
Quite amazingly, the movement of our stuff in the old phones went pretty smoothly into the new ones – but then it was like moving into a new house. How to organize the cupboards and closets; how the various systems worked; and ultimately setting up the sounds and look of the start screen. I only had to call for assistance once, and that was over a minor issue quickly solved.
When you read directions first, then follow them – I have been accused of not doing so sometimes in the past – technology just takes over and does its magic. The first day was a bit tentative, but by the end of the second day – we were glad we did it!
