Love/hate relationship with cell phones

Now, I will admit, I was slow to join the wireless revolution. I was very slow to go out and get a cell phone. My biggest problem was in trying to find a plan that would suit my needs. I didn't plan to be a huge cell phone user and did NOT want something that would shackle me to a contract and a monthly fee. I finally found something that would work for me, a prepaid plan that gave me complete control over my usage and how much money I would spend. I'm on my second phone within the same plan and this one was a bit of an upgrade from my old one. I can go online to the 'Net via a mini-browser as well as use it as a bit of a personal organizer. It's a very handy device and now that I have a cell phone, frankly I do not know what I would do without it. It's become a very necessary appendage that I will not leave the house without. It frees me up to be able to leave the house without having to sit around waiting for important phone calls that I can now get on my cell phone instead when I am not at home with my land line. So now I am a part of the wireless revolution. Only here's the thing: now that cell phones - and now "smart phones", basically mini-handheld computers - are so ubiquitous, people seem to be glued to their devices. Everywhere I go, I see people texting or using one of the gazillion "apps" on their smart phones to do....whatever it is they do. People text while driving, text while crossing streets, text while in fast food lines, text while in concerts, plays, movies, church or wherever and basically can't seem to put down their phones and live life in real time. I admit, if I got a "smart phone" I might find it addicting, which is why I do not have one right now. That, and they are too expensive, but anymore, nobody communicates via e-mail. Texting is all the rage right now and I admit to doing a little of it, not a lot, because it costs me three tenths of a minute per text sent as well as three tenths of a minute for any text opened. That can gobble up your minutes after a while, admittedly, so I keep it to a minimum. But I am also just not a heavy cell phone user to start with. I talk to family members on it, but they're about the only people who call me on it, so that is mainly why I have it. It's also handy for travel as well as being in a crowd and needing to connect with someone you are supposed to meet. I just wish that more people would practice proper cell phone etiquette and keep them off at the appropriate times. But the problem with cell phones these days is that they tend to make people feel self important like they have to keep their phones on every single place they go, whether they need to have them on or not. Sure, some folks situations do require them to be reachable at all hours, but they are in the distinct minority. Most folks can get by without their cell phones on everyplace they go. Perhaps cell phone etiquette needs to be taught in school since these devices are so ubiquitous now. Sure might help in many situations......