My Phone, Harry

February 5- I have a problem. I forget things. Never people- just items. My neighbor suggested I start journaling. She said it might “strengthen my mental vibes” or some kind of malarky like that. 

I leave a trail of personal belongings wherever I go. I try to remember to check before I leave a place, but, inevitably, I will receive a text or a phone call asking if the blue watch is mine or did I mean to leave my wool jacket at Jerry's house. I've started labelling everything, just in case it's left behind.

Last week, I went to the mall to pick up an extension cord for my new lamp. Not only did I forget what I needed, but I also forgot my gloves on the bus. Maybe I should stop using public transportation? But then I may never be able to find my car if I parked it somewhere.

February 7- My sister, Joan, just gave me an iPhone. Nothing was wrong with my old flip phone, but she insisted that I get with the times. I’ve survived eighty years without this flashy thing, but I’ll give it a try. She hinted that it would help me manage my life. She even showed me an app to help me remember things. My granddaughter, Eva, is teaching me how to use it. I do some pretty fantastic selfies, if I do say so.

February 8- This is great! The app has a checklist that I look at before I leave anywhere. I won't forget anything! It even reminds me the night before, so I can set up what I need for the morning.

February 9- My phone keeps dinging. Every time I check it, it's reminding me to check my belongings. Keys? Check. Jacket? Check. Gloves? No, still at store. Purse? Check. 

I miss the days when a noisy phone meant someone actually wanted to talk with me. Does anyone even talk on the phone anymore?

February 11- I put the phone on silence and now I don't remember how to get the sound back on. When I look at the screen, there are so many notifications, I'm not sure which one to look at. I may need to call Eva for help, but I don’t know how to find the phone call app.

February 12- Joan helped me with the sound, but I'm getting tired of all these reminders. She also had Eva come over for another “How to Use your iPhone” lesson. Eva is so beautiful. She even brought back the hat that I left at her place.

February 18- I left my phone somewhere. I don't remember where, but it's a relief not to have the blasted thing beeping all day. Now, where did I put my keys?

February 20- Joan came over and used some kind of phone-finding app to find my phone. I think I’m going to call the phone “Harry” after my dearly departed husband. I was always forgetting him, too. We’d go to the mall and I’d forget to wake him up after I was done at Macy’s. He always showed up eventually. He was a pro at using public transportation.

February 23- I left Harry on my bus seat, but the sweet, young man with the spike in his nose ran after me and gave it back. Youngsters these days are so thoughtful.

February 24- My doctor suggested I use my phone to remind me to take my medicine. There’s an app for that. There’s also one to record my blood pressure. I’m supposed to use that, too. Harry has become quite useful.

February 25- The doctor’s office called. I left my purse in the exam room. Thankfully, I had Harry in my pocket. Otherwise I may never have remembered where my purse was. You know what a fuss it is to replace all my credit cards and driver’s license, though I am quite efficient at it now. 

February 26- The doctor’s office called. I left my jacket there when I went to pick up my purse. The doctor asked for a family member’s contact info.

March 2- Joan came over and sat down. After patting my hand gently, she said she had talked with other family members about me going to an assisted living home. What did I think of that? I told her that she may think eighty is much older than her sixty-five years, but I was still the oldest sister and she couldn’t force me to do anything. She left in a huff.

April 3- I rode the bus for a long time. I couldn’t quite remember where I was going. Was I headed to the mall for new slippers or was I returning home after visiting someone? Bill, the bus driver, kindly suggested I get off at home and I came home to realize I had locked my keys in the house. I told Joan when she had Eva’s husband install the new lock on the door, that it was a bad idea to have a self-locking door, but she didn’t listen. I had to wait for an hour in the chilly evening (I couldn’t remember where my hat and gloves were) for Eva to show up and unlock the door. 

April 10- I haven’t gone out much. It’s too scary. What if I lock my self out again or forget where I’m going? What would Eva and Joan think? My phone beeps and reminds me to take my medicine, but life has become drab without any outings or interactions with people.

May 1- Joan enlisted Eva’s help and they were successful in convincing me to move to a assisted living home. Peace Creek Assisted Living will be my new home. It sounds like a place to slowly and silently drift out of life. How depressing.

May 25- The house sold quickly and left me with enough to pay for Peace Creek for several years. Eva and her husband packed everything up and helped me settle into the new place.

June 4- I’ve started giving iPhone lessons to some of the other residents. We play bingo online and chat about which resident assistant is the most handsome and which widower is the most likely to remarry. I was a little hesitant about the fancy phone, but Harry has been a bright light in a dull place. I don't know what I would do without it.