Ten Degrees of Separation

The other day I had a unique experience. I went to Sacramento and forgot my cell phone. It was like line out of a Joni Mitchell song. "You don't know what you've got till its gone."

When you don't have a cell phone you begin to notice how much you rely on cell phones. It wasn't until I got to Starbucks I was even aware I didn't have my phone. By then it was too late. I discovered it missing when I reached for it to call friends and let them know I had arrived in town so we could coordinate a meeting spot for lunch.

The first thing I noticed was that everyone else was on the phone…but me. The second thing I noticed is that pay phones are now as rare as…as pay phones. I went to Wal-Mart. All the pay phones that used to be at there were gone. I walked over to the fast food joint next door and could see the painted outline where two pay phones used to be.

I went across the street to the gas station. I know this station well because it is my regular refueling stop on my way to the Bay Area. I walked around to the side and the payphones were gone. How could a gas station not have a pay phone? Isn't there some kind of Federal Law mandating payphones at gas stations?

I went inside to ask where the pay phones were and was told they were gone because people kept vandalizing them. The Vandals kicked the Roman Army out of Germany in 406 A.D. starting the decline of the Roman Empire and now they've kicked pay phones out of just about every public place they occupied before. Could this be a trend?

In ten years the cell phone has gone from being a luxury gadget to being a vital necessity. You don't believe me? Leave your cell phone home for a day and see how much you depend on it.

This whole episode reminded me of a prophecy first made in the movie "The President's Analyst." In the movie, the President of THE PHONE COMPANY is making a chilling prediction. He wants the president of the United States to pass legislation to implant a phone chip in every newborn's head so that in a few years "all you will need to do to talk to anyone, anywhere at anytime is just think of them and you'll be instantly connected."

That day is already here. There is now a chip in everyone's hand (unless they leave it at home) and it didn't take legislation. There is no doubt in my mind that the cell phone companies are working the implants as I write this.

This little experience has caused me to take a very careful look at my life. Contrary to popular belief there are not Six Degrees of Separation between two strangers, there are ten (555) 555-5555.