Are You Smarter Than a Smart Phone?

In one of my less than lucid moments, I decided to join the 21st Century and get a smart phone. Granted, my hubby had been raving about his Android phone for months and after awhile, I started to see its appeal. Plus Mobi had a great deal on an Android phone and a very affordable data plan. My Chinese sensibilities could not resist such a deal.

My 15 year old Alex scoffed at my getting a smart phone.

"Mom is not technologically advanced," he complained. "The smart phone will outsmart her."

He was just pissy because I wouldn't indulge a 2-for1 smart phone deal for him. His Momma is not so dumb.

The fact that I could update my Facebook status and Twitter to my heart's content on my smart phone was just mind boggling. I went app-sh*t crazy downloading everything from the requisite Angry Birds game to Chewbacca ring tones to a pirate themed car locator called Caaar Matey. I was so engrossed in app acquisitions that I failed to learn how to answer a call when my phone roared like a Wookie.

Of course, Alex was highly amused.

"The smart phone outsmarted Mom again!" he would gleefully proclaim whenever I missed a call.

This boy is SO going to be using his hand-me-down cell phone until he's 21. And forget about a data plan.

But like any technology, the smart phone was not infallible.

One evening as I was chilling in my Inner Sanctuary ( aka the bathroom) I heard urgent footsteps rushing toward the room. It was my loving spouse, Bill.

"What's wrong? You need help?" Bill asked, very worried.

"Uh, no," came my confused reply through the bathroom door. "I've been potty-solo for over 40 years now. I think I got the hang of it."

"Well, I got a text message from you just now that says, 'Help me!'"

"I don't even have my phone in here with me!"

"I'm looking at the text message. It's got today's date on it. It's from you." Bill said emphatically. In his world, his smart phone would not deceive him. I knew better than to continue the argument.

Later that evening we discovered the "Help me!" message was indeed sent from my phone to Bill's phone - two weeks earlier. I had parked my car with a trunk full of stuff that wasn't going to walk into the house on its own. Instead of hollering for help, I used my newly acquired technology to send the message to my Bill. For some reason, the message wandered around in cyberspace before landing in Bill's smart phone.

That proved to me that smart phones are not always smart. And yes, I am ultimately smarter than a smart phone. Well, I would be if I can just figure out how to pick up an incoming call.