For the first time in decades, I started wearing a wristwatch to go outside. I had been using my smartphone for a long time, but I realized that I had become totally dependent on it, as I would check the time and then do something unnecessary, such as reading e-mails or LINE, or even start reading Yahoo News.
I had been doing everything I could do, such as managing my schedule, taking notes and photos, and drafting manuscripts, all on my smartphone, and I thought that was efficient and cool.
One day, when I got on the train, I saw all the passengers staring intently at their smartphones, and I suddenly felt bad thinking that I was one of them. Maybe it was because of my navel-gazing, but did I really need a smartphone? And then I suddenly changed my mind.
For the time being, I decided to turn off my phone for most of the day. I felt freer and lighter. Not only was I dependent on my smartphone, but I was also bound by it, or rather, by the “information” it brought to me.
At first, I was worried. I wondered if I was missing out on the “good news,” such as an invitation to something or a special topic, or the “bad news,” such as a family accident.
But after a while, I realized this too. I rarely have good stories. There are seldom bad stories either. I just feel anxious about the lack of “information” on my own.
I could turn off my phone, but I couldn’t tell the time, and that was a problem, so I decided to bring back my wristwatch.
However, all the watches in the house had stopped due to dead batteries. After reviving the watches that I could wear for a while, I suddenly felt sorry for the other watches, so I revived all of them. The watchmaker told me that if I left the dead battery unattended, the watch itself would be ruined.
I’m back to the wristwatch life for the time being, but I may soon start to think that I don’t even need a wristwatch anymore. Freedom from time”…impossible?
Running through the end of the year with work
