Seems like lately, I’ve been barraged with even more questions about why I don’t have a phone. Through all the questions, I’m realizing more and more the importance of telling a story.
It’s not always about having a good reason for doing something – it’s more about having a good story. I don’t mean lying. I mean having a history, a path of how you got to where you are.
For instance, when someone asks about my phone situation, I’ve stopped trying to give a reason. I don’t have one. Instead, I just tell my story.
I had a phone before I came to Korea. I even had a prepaid phone for a couple weeks here in Korea. I realized, though, before coming here and then even more so afterward, that I preferred feeling the disconnect. I liked feeling untethered from immediate communication.
I planned to go a month and then reassess after that. A month came and went. Then three months. Now it’s been like eight months since I had a phone. I still have email. I still have Facebook. That’s good enough.
After telling the story, everyone’s still pretty mystified. But hey, they didn’t get it any better when I tried to give a reason. And just as I don’t have a reason, I don’t have a plan to get a phone either.
I’m learning to give up reasons and create stories instead.
