Needless Encumbrance

I read an article not too long ago mentioning that a large number of people talking on cell phones were not actually on a call. They were talking to themselves, either to "look cool" or avoid conversation with those around them. If you're like me, every time you see a chatty cell phone converser, you begin speculating : Is that person talking to him/herself? I stood in front of the library this afternoon, thinking that if I had a cell phone, I could talk to myself in public with impunity. It'd be good fun. The problem is, I'm just not a "cell-phone guy." It's not that I'm a square, or old-fashioned, I simply enjoy a life free of needless encumberance This unencumbered freedom began when I was a mobile repair technician. From time to time, I would carry a beeper, which always demanded my attention at inopportune moments. When my boss dropped it on the concrete one afternoon, my life changed. I cannot overemphasize the difference, the peace and serenity that moved in once the beeper moved out. I never inquired about when the beeper would be repaired, and I never missed it. Since then, I've watched the cell phone culture from a distance as it's grown. I don't really feel like I'm missing out. I find it hard enough to hear what's going on in my head without adding more voices.