Gadgets
Adam didn't understand a thing about his new I-Phone. It was supposed to be the latest and greatest new gadget, but Adam couldn't quench the desire to throw it against the wall when it stopped working for the third time in as many weeks.
Plus, it wasn't like he had a schedule that allowed him to stop at any store and get it looked at. So, Adam was stuck with no way to contact people, no e-mail, none of his phone numbers, nothing.
He was too recognizable to use a pay phone, so he was stuck paying extra and feeling super lame using the one number he did remember (not even his parents'!) and asking if Alisan had any of the other numbers he needed to call.
"Let's see.." she said, scrolling through her phone. "I have Neil's!" she announced triumphantly.
"And why on earth would I need Neil's number? I hate Neil." he insisted, though it wasn't really true.
"Do you have anybody's that I actually use?" he pressed.
"Well, you already remembered mine," Alisan pointed out. "Who else's do you really need after that?"
"Very funny. You know I got that stupid phone less than a month ago, and already it died like three times? Phones never used to break or quit working. Now they do all the time. You need to replace DVD players and microwaves all the time, and when we were growing up, things would last forever..."
"Are you done ranting about the state of technology or should I make some popcorn?" Alisan asked dryly.
"I'm serious. How often did your mom have to replace her ancient VCR?"
"Never," Alisan concluded quickly. "Still works, too. But, you know, people have to make money."
"So they sell products that don't last," Adam snapped, losing his patience. "You know, if I didn't have my whole life in that thing, it would be fine. But everything's in there."
"Guess you'll have to go back to the old-fashioned way. Pencil and paper, or memorize."
"Shit, Ali. Do you know how much I have on my mind?"
"No. I have no idea at all..." she dead-panned. "I'm just telling you. You can't rely on crappy phones and computers to keep your information. Write it down, or it's gone the day your computer decides to run slow and die."
"Yeah, I think I learned my lesson," Adam grumbled. "I gotta hang up. This phone call's probably costing me a million dollars," he sighed.
"Well wouldn't I be worth it?" she challenged, smiling.
"Every penny," he confirmed, laughing in spite of himself.
Technology might be ridiculous, but friends were there no matter what. He knew he could count on Alisan to be there, even if his stupid phone refused to work when he needed it to.
He hung up, and instead of relaxing for an hour or two, Adam spent more time on the phone trying to figure out how to fix the broken thing that held his life.