Nomophobia

 

Yes, yet something else to worry about: nomophobia. It's a fear of being without mobile phone contact … NO...MObile..PHOne...phobia. The term was coined in the UK when it was determined by a study that people who lose their phones, run out of battery power or don't have network coverage, suffer the same anxiety that folks suffer when heading to the dentist's office or getting married. Yikes!

More than half the people (in the study anyhow) never ever turn off their mobile phones. Really? More often than not, we forget to turn ours on. I've been using my mom's phone since I got back into the States. When I do remember to charge it and then turn it on, I forget to take it with me when I go out.

We buy a new mobile phone in pretty much every country we visit. They're pretty much disposable … $20/phone and then pay-as-you-go service. We never get fancy phones … no iPhones for us. No, we get the type that still require you to use the “1” key for either ABC, “2” for DEF, etc. We must tap it until the proper letter appears on the screen. We seldom send a text that's error-free and sometimes the messages are rather bizarre. We buy them in order to contact vendors, marinas and other cruisers when the VHF radio won't suffice.

There is hope for all the nomophobes out there. There's a Mobile Phone Anxiety Advice Center.

I think if we were land folk full time, we might succumb to the constant need to be in touch. As it is, when we're at sea, we figure we're lucky to be in touch with the world once a day via SailMail (radio signal) and then mostly for weather forecasts. As for mobile signals, they're few and far between at sea and so far, we've managed without a satellite phone. Perhaps, we have mophobia... a fear of having a mobile phone and too much contact or perhaps it's just not important to us.

What about you? Are you a nomophobe? Can you go without your mobile phone for long periods of time...like say, 48 hours?? Would you want to?

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Patriot's Day

Celebrated primarily in Massachusetts, this is a state holiday and commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the "shot heard round the world". Read up on the American Revolution or watch PBS's Liberty! Check out our photos from Minute Man National Historic Park.

Signs - No, No, No!

When a sign says NO, don't you just want to dig your heels in and do whatever it says not to do? There are already so many NO's in life, it just adds insult to injury. I was nearly overwhelmed on the airlines the other day with all those little circles with lines through them. Lots and lots of no-no-no's. I dislike having an amorphous sign maker tell me “NO!” when it sometimes seems so obvious that whatever they're telling me not to do, shouldn't be done anyway. It's pretty apparent they've been erected for stupid people who can't figure out that setting off fireworks in a dry forest, for instance, or putting hot ashes in a plastic trash bin might not be prudent. The people who are that stupid probably don't read either, so there's that to consider.

I wonder if the folks who make up signs realize how alienating their words can be. I'm okay with “Please refrain from …” I like polite. I'm pretty inclined to follow polite directives. Of course, “please refrain from loitering” or “please refrain from speeding” wouldn't really have the same impact and would necessitate much larger signs just to accommodate extra verbiage.

Do things like this bug you? Why not share?

Here's my collection of “NO” signs. Please refrain from making negative comments.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Ear Muffs Day

If you've got earmuffs, wear 'em now...hopefully winter's almost over. Thank Chester Greenwood for this invention.

Open Your Umbrella Indoors Day

So why is it bad luck to do this? Because bad luck will "rain" down on you. In order to dispel these old superstitions, today's the day to tempt fate, open your umbrella indoors and see what happens. I'd do this...but don't ask me to start a passage on Friday!

Signs: Billboards and Stores

Driving or walking along, there are always billboards or store signs that catch our attention. Some are meant to be funny and some are not meant to be funny, but they are anyway. Thought you'd enjoy a few of our favorites.  

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Honor Your Pocket Day

Yup, on this day in 1590, pockets were invented. People were tired of losing their small change and keys and had no place to put their hands, so Geoffry Pocket came along and solved the problem. So, walk around with your hands in your pockets today... give thanks for the little things.