When did I become so reliant on this device that I lost my mind? I wish I could give you an answer, but I actually have no idea when that happened. What is really amazing to me is that I can still recall the phone number that I had growing up, but I can’t remember the number I called yesterday to make a doctor’s appointment. 

I bring all this up because this love of my life, who is smarter than I ever
imagined can operate a smart phone, better than I can. He’s 2. He loves to watch kids videos on my phone and play educational games I have loaded on the device for him. He also thinks it’s quite cool to send text messages to many people at once. Mind you, you would have to know his toddler language to read the messages, they appear to be encrypted in some type of secret code. And he knows how to find my favorites in my contact list and make random calls and as soon as someone answers, he hangs up the phone!

Listening to him watch videos on the phone, little did I know that he had also opened my contact list and in a matter of seconds had deleted all but 6 contacts out of my phone! YIKES! I was in panic mode. I didn’t have those numbers saved anywhere else, or so I thought. Even numbers of family members, except for my mother and immediate family, had vanished!

After searching through emails and online accounts and reaching out to friends and family on social media, I was able to retrieve over 250+ numbers. And I learned how to use the backup software on my phone to make sure I am prepared if this should ever happen again.

What amazes me the most is how much I rely on my little handheld computer to keep me connected to people who matter in my life; that I stopped using my brain to store the information and started relying on a device to do it for me.  If I have taken for granted that I would always have a strong mind, than what makes me think something else couldn’t be so devastating?

I also learned there are apps to protect the apps on your phone so something like this never happens again. I had no idea. I know my phone is smarter than me on some days and, it appears so is my 2-year-old grandson.

Memory loss of any kind can set you into panic mode. I’ve seen it in myself and family members. Losing cognitive functions can be just as disturbing. You know that you used to be able to remember names and faces, places you visited, a skill you learned and your mind falters. You chalk it up to old age-everyone has forgetful moments, but what happens when your mind starts playing tricks on you?

Watching our loved one go through the debilitating disease of Alzheimer’s puts into perspective losing all my contacts. At the time it happened, I was in panic mode, but I knew how to get them back, it would just be time-consuming. To think that someone who has Alzheimer’s can’t get their memory back or make sense of something as simple as realizing milk goes on cereal but orange juice does not; that’s scary.  Or hallucinating, thinking people are in your home, when you are the only one there. Paranoid to the point of thinking someone is out to get you and hurt you. This is what is truly sad.

I continue to pray a cure will be found for this mind altering disease. I pray for those that are suffering and for those that have to sit by and watch and feeling so helpless there is nothing they can do, but continue to love their family member or friend with an unconditional love.

1 Corinthians 13:7 Amplified Bible (AMP)

7 Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].

Blessings to all, 

Carlene