// BLOG
They’re Going Green – my hair turns gray with my my new cell phone
September 2, 2010
even grannies use cell phones
Alright so I know EVERYBODY other than your Grandmother has a cell phone, but it’s taken me a few years to actually get up the courage to get a ‘real’ cell phone.
Why do I say ‘real’ cell phone?
Because I’ve had a kind of throw away version for awhile just to take on trips and to text my nieces, as we all know that is the only way to reach young people today.
Anyway my fabulous business partner Ian is coming to town this month from France and I wanted to be able to do international calling and texting which I can’t do on my current pitiful little cell phone. Thus the upgrade.
I took the plunge and bought a super groovy, adorable, chic and cheap version of the Iphone. Well actually it wasn’t that cheap! But it’s more my style than the super-jam packed Iphone which I know I couldn’t use!
It came with the assumption that I would have no idea how to use this phone. I am over 50 and thus do not have the natural brain cells for figuring this stuff out.
my groovy new phone
My sister who’s had an Iphone for years reassured me that if her husband could figure it out, then so could I. But alas I did not buy an Iphone, I bought a Samsung Messager Touch which is similar a whole different animal.
I sat down to try my hand at it and within minutes had developed a horrible headache! For one thing the instructions were so small that I had to go find a pair of those magnifying glasses to read it – ARRRGH!
Then of course I couldn’t get any of it to work:
- I couldn’t set up my voicemail – damn!
- I couldn’t delete things I’d done – annoying!!
- and there was no information at all on the camera – hmmm, what’s going on here?
I got so mad that I finally decided to call the company and yell at someone! I thought that would at least get the stress out of my system and restore my brain power, so I could think logically about operating my phone.
Just kidding! I didn’t yell at anyone :>) But I did plan to spend an hour on the phone with them while they explained everything to me.
Oh I forgot to mention that before I called them I actually went on Youtube and looked up the phone and there were at least 4 videos, all done by 13 year-old boys! I’m not kidding, look it up yourself and you’ll see that this is not a storyteller’s fabrication.
They spoke so fast and in such a garble (they are 13 after all) that I had no idea what they said and realized very quickly that they could teach me nothing. I am over 50 after all. We speak different languages. Thus the call to the company, who then told me to call the manufacturer, Samsung, so I did.
Samsung said to me, “Oh we don’t send the manual anymore. We’re going GREEN!”
Going green???????? You don’t send the manual because you are going green? Now I was turning red. This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!
they're working on my phone
And it gets worse! You know what ‘going green’ really means? It means that I have to print out the 165 page manual myself. At the cost of paper and the stress on my ancient printer, gee that sounds like the green really means -
We’re too cheap to do this ourselves!
If I still have to print the manual, then in the bigger sense of the world, we have not gone green at all, it’s just that the cost and the effort are all on my side and that is not a nice message to send your customer, don’t you think?
So here are my suggestions for you Samsung: (note the green color here)
- I love your phone, it’s really cute and groovy.
- I like the idea of going green. I just think we need to be clear what that means.
- Why don’t you create a nice little card that you package with your phone that explains your eco-philosophy and the fact that since many people throw the manual in the trash, you are saving paper.
- I would be cool with that and thus I would think that you are a cool company, rather than cheapskates who are burdening me with a task that you should have done.
Got it??
I love the phone. I stayed up until mid-night learning it. In my learning curve, I called a wrong number and got someone who texted me back and said, “Who is this???”
Alas, it’s proving to be a great way to meet new people in other parts of the world!
All in all it’s been a great, green and groovy experience, getting me up to speed with technology. Now I just have to go re-dye my hair as I think I got a bit more gray in the process.
Thanks Samsung and thanks little Cricket phone – I’ve named her “Jimminy”. Stay tuned for more story-phone adventures in techno-wonderland.
Yours in story and always keeping up to date with the 13 year olds,
Annie
Video: Stories From the Heart of the Cosmos
August 30, 2010
This is a wonderful video short of my body of work called, “Stories from the Heart of the Cosmos” done for me by friend, filmmaker Tim Kelly. It gives you a sense of the characters and stories that make up my world. I am publishing this again because I’m going to use some of the stories for my forthcoming book. Hope you enjoy a trip through the cosmos!
Featured Video: A Pale Blue Dot
August 29, 2010
Nothing more beautiful than a cosmic earth story, told as poetry.
I’m Back! The Creative Journey
August 26, 2010
enjoy the creative journey
Ah it’s been a great few weeks off from blogging. I love blogging don’t get me wrong, but I had the sense that I needed to take a rest from it all and allow myself to focus in new directions.
And I’ve been thoroughly enjoying myself!
Here’s what I’ve been up to:
- writing stories, almost every day in my groovy purple notebook – yay!
- working on my book which is finally coming together after many months, not ready to come out in public yet but the story idea is nearly clear – wonderful!
- I’ve been working with my business partner on my new website and brand. He is an expert in marketing and branding (thank God for that) and very soon the new, upscale me will be revealed - can’t wait!
I’ve learned a lot on my creative journey of these pasts few months. Here are some of the highlights:
- You can’t rush the journey – it takes it’s own time, it is a meandering path and it is subject to the whims of your muses. So just relax and enjoy the journey.
- It has a life of it’s own - you are not in charge, even though you think you are. The journey of life wants to take you somewhere and writing a book, or creating a project is just an excuse for the process of self-transformation.
- It’s meant to be enjoyable – ah yes that old stress demon takes over too much of the time. Life, creativity and creating things can be fun and enjoyable!
Well thanks for hanging in there with me during my hiatus. I have a lot of great new stories to share, a new blog coming and a whole new look.
Stay tuned and stay in touch!
Yours in story,
Annie
Don’t Worry, I’ll Be Back Soon!
August 20, 2010
Today I got a lovely email from a blog fan saying that he was worried about me since it was so quiet. While that was very sweet, you don’t have to worry! Quiet is good!!
wise women regenerate themselves!
I’ve been having a lot of nice restful time, regenerating myself and doing daily writing. Instead of my blog, I’m writing in a funky purple notebook that cost $1.87. It’s the kind you used to use in grade school.
I’m loving taking a break from all the busyness and regenerating myself at my next level. Good stuff happening and great things on the horizon. I’ll let you know what they are very soon.
In the meantime, DON’T WORRY!! I’m doing great. Wise women need to regenerate themselves from time to time :>)
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