Romancing the phone

Of course, there's background. I'll try and be brief. Don't count on it. About fifty years ago when Apple produced the first iPod, I whinged and moaned and generally made life unbearable enough till Mr Dunnit bought me one for my birthday. People, this is pre 'iPod Classic' day I'm talking about. We still had dial up internet. The itunes store was a thing of the future in Great Britain. And to be honest, the motivation for my desire was much more about how totaly COOL I would be if I had an iPod. I have to say that the iPod packaging in terms of design and function were to me quite, quite sublime. It took me almost two days to open the thing completely; I was so unhappy about spoiling it! And then I discovered my inner Luddite. Turns out that I found listening to music in public was incredibly inconvenient and a bit anti-social. Turns out that I felt a bit foolish. Especially as the uber cool control dial and 'touch' operation was so easy that I simply couldn't remember how to use it if I didn't practice daily. And then I managed to change the language setting to Japanese...and it took ages of just 'touch and guess' to change it back...(I was way too embarrased to ask for help!) - eventually it turned into French and I was at least able to follow screen indicators back to English. It was at this time that really I discovered that Apple saying that something is easy is not really in my-line-of-vision 'easy'. They pre-suppose that I know waaaaaay more than I do about computers, technology and well, everything really, even the wires. So Miss Dunnit inherited my Toy of Cool and she was incredibly happy about it. She still uses it too.
So, lesson learned huh? No. Of course not. When the iPhone was introduced I of course, expressed an instant desire to own one. I mean - how cool? And really, I have a mobile phone, so it's not like it would be so difficult to learn as the iPod, I reasoned. Anyway, then we discovered from the safety of the sofa in front of the tv that it would be a one network, set amount a month type contract, and I shelved the idea. I have a perfectly good, FREE phone. I don't know if you know this, but my mobile phone is a perk of my job as Mrs Dunnit. See, Mr Dunnit has a contract at work for the supply of a number of mobile phones for staff and blah...and I'm the blah! I guess there's a point at which for the provider, it doesn't matter how many phones as long as there's a good contract. So lucky me huh!
Phones are replaced annually, I don't know when, to be honest, I've only just found a confident way around the two features that I actually use on my current phone (making calls and sending text), so had no idea that I've had it for a year already! Mr Dunnit came home the other night and gave me an acrylic box with an iPhone 'sleeve' in it - a sort of non slip holder thing. When I worked out what it was, we laughed at it being a freebie which would be the closest I'd come to an iPhone. And then he gave me the beautifully compact black box containing the actual real thing. Apparently, it's phone upgrade time on the contract. His partner had mentioned that he was ordering Blackberry types and Mr Dunnit had told him not to include me (Julia) in that; he was going to buy me an iPhone, because that's what I really wanted. Did you hear that? He was going to buy me one even though I haven't whinged or moaned or really even talked about it. And, and - he didn't set it up or charge it or anything because he didn't want to spoil my opening and enjoying the packaging experience. He remembered! Oh I'm feeling giddy just telling you. You see why I'm excited!! Double spontaneous gesture alert!! Lucky for him and me, business partner included an iPhone with their order - apparently he chose Blackberry off the list for the guys in the offices because he thought the iPhone was a bit girly! Oh my. It IS a very clever phone, and it is going to take me a while to get my head around...but it is much easier to use than the iPod was - or have I just learned more in the last 5 or 6 years? Whatever. Who cares! So that's the romance. Again, lots of you won't even have recognised it as such. It was. And I'll take it. And apparently, brag my breeches off about it too. You get that it's really not about the phone don't you? Like I said to Mr D, really I am deep. Just a bit deep shallow. You know.