For several hours yesterday, I was off the communication grid, and I felt terrible!  Now, I understand how attached we all get to our mobile phones, that not having a working one in your hand is like a life sentence. This meant though that I was incommunicado.

On my way to a tourism promotions committee meeting yesterday, I was charging my phone in the car and browsing email at the same time, when the phone suddenly felt so hot I almost dropped it. I smelled burning, looked at the car charger and saw smoke coming out.  Quickly, I removed the car charger from the charging port (and burnt my fingertips in the process).  Turns out the lightning to USB cable exterior had melted and the wires exposed.  Mama mia!  That was a close call! 

This meant though that I was incommunicado.  All afternoon, I kept reaching out to my phone to check messages, only to be reminded that it was out of battery.  I even asked those attending the meeting if they had a charger I could borrow.  Unfortunately, no one had the model I needed. It dawned on me that this was why smokers would ask friends or even strangers for a stick of cigarette when they were out.  Shudder! What a “junkie” I’ve become with all of these new technologies!

Why, oh, why, can’t iPhone batteries last long enough so constant charging is unnecessary and  you don’t need to bring along a slew of accessories and back-up chargers, and a large bag to carry everything in?  My Blackberry would last me all day before, while I’m lucky if my iPhone charge would last three hours.  

It’s a throwback to my early motherhood days, when bringing my babies out of the house meant lugging around a large bag full of diapers, towels, milk bottles, extra change of clothes, and what have you.  Now the baby has been replaced by a mobile phone.   

As soon as the meeting ended, I rushed back to Alabang from Roxas Boulevard, intent on getting to the malls before they closed to buy a new cable.  Without a phone in hand to check messages or FB, I suffered as we inched our way through heavy rush hour traffic, narrow roads, potholes and road repairs.  And when a traffic enforcer stopped my driver for turning right from Roxas instead of from the service road, all hope of getting to ATC in time plummetted and my stress levels zoomed.  

It was then that another realization hit me: I had been using my mobile phone as a baby sitter to distract me from travel stress.  But then again, I argued, doesn’t it allow me to be more efficient?  I can respond to client and work-related requests right away, check on my children, connect with friends on Facebook, Linkedin, Google+ and more.  Relax, I told myself, and enjoy the moment.  

Luckily, I did make it on time, thanks to the Skyway.  And, my now grown-up daughters were at ATC, so they accompanied me to the store.   I decided to get not just a cable but a Boostcase as well as another back-up option for when I run out of power.  

So, here’s my challenge to the inventors out there.  Design a phone that gets charged simply by holding it.  Takers, anyone?