It's Been Awhile

it is 5:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  i haven't blogged in a while.  i have been getting acclimated on my smart phone.  i bought the phone on black friday back in november of last year.  actually, my friend ordered one and i told her to order another for me.  it remained in a box on a shelf until just recently.  my grandson took it out of the box a few months ago; to check it out.  he told me that it was a very good phone.  my son said it was just an okay phone.  i had wanted to get the sim card from the small cell phone; inserted into the brand new smart phone; for a long time, now.

while i was still cooking at the yeshiva, it didn't seem like an urgent matter.  i didn't want to have to bring the shiny new smart phone to the very dingy kitchen with me every day.  i managed with the tiny cell phone until i lost it, one day. i didn't think i could ever learn to use a smart phone so i resisted buying one.  none of my gal pals had one yet; so i thought that i was in good company.

i replaced the small cell phone with an even smaller and cheaper cell phone.  it wasn't a perfect situation but i didn't really care.  i quit working in the yeshiva before the holiday of purim just before march.  the covid virus was just getting into high gear then.  i stopped going to town.  i spent most of my time preparing the house for pesach.  getting the sim card inserted; was now a lost cause, so it seemed.  a neighbor was kind enough to come over and apply the whats app on the smart phone but she couldn't insert the sim card.  she stood outside on my porch one evening , as it began to rain; and tried to talk me through using the app.  i stood by my open window and looked out.  it was too surreal.  i didn't even own a mask back then.  i was scared to have a person in my house.

i tried to call my grandson on the whats app but it didn't work.  she came by again, but i told her i was a lost cause.  one time i got a video of my new grandson and i ran to the neighbor to help me open it.  i was so delighted to have a recent picture of him.  i hadn't seen him since he was born in december.  my son called to let me know that he wanted to make a video chat one day in april.   he called me three times and each time, i panicked and couldn't catch the phone.  he was very impatient and angry with me.  i finally, under extreme pressure; was able to open the phone and see the grand kids.  i watched them do the check for chometz on the night before pesach.  i stayed on the phone for nearly an hour.  i showed them all the toys i had bought them for pesach.  i didn't know how to speak on a smart phone so i yelled on the top of my lungs.

i was never able to get them on a chat again.  the phone went back in the box and back on the shelf until a couple of weeks ago.  i finally walked to town one evening and had the sim card inserted and the shield placed on the phone.  i even got a sturdy case for it.  i still had a hard time catching calls.  i went over to a friend's house and practiced with her for a couple of hours.  little by little, i picked up some tricks.

i am not perfect yet but i can call, and text and whats app people now with ease.  i even sent emails on it. it is being caught up as opposed to being a dinosaur.  i have self confidence again.  i don't feel desperate any longer.  i like it very much.  i intend to cancel my land line phone tomorrow.  i have wasted tons of money for years calling lost distance.  i will keep the internet service on my home computer.  i find it too difficult to blog on the phone.  my gardener was so elated to hear that i finally used my phone.  he has been telling me for years to get with it.