Unplugged

I rushed out of my apartment this morning to drop my car at the Honda dealer and then take a train into the city. In my haste I left behind my BlackBerry and my cell phone, a fact I did not discover until leaving the car dealer. While I waited on the train platform for my train, I felt a rish of two conflicting emotions--panic over the urgent work crisis or home emergency I was surely now AWOL on, and a sense of relaxation knowing I could read the NY Times in peace and quiet. But I did feel half-naked walking to the office, not having a heads-up on what might be greeting me. Of course, nothing urgent happened at all; but as anyone who has turned their phone to vibrate for a few minutes, only to miss a call about an emergency room visit or a missed appointment, knows, it's all random. This time fate was smiling on me. As much as I loathe being even vaguely connected with those BlackBerry addicted robots I see, heads bowed, thumbs aflame, on the train every day, I know the feeling. Where's my data?