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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland man sentenced to two years for marijuana money laundering scheme ... OSP detonates suspicious item at Bear Creek Plaza ... Woman says she found snake head in can of Western Family green beans ... Ashland man sentenced to two years for marijuana money laundering scheme ... OSP detonates suspicious item at Bear Creek Plaza ... Woman says she found snake head in can of Western Family green beans ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Southern Oregon Journal: Smart is relative Comment By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 21, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 21, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Little Flip and I had been inseparable for years — so many I’d lost count. That’s why when I saw her lying there, hooked up to wires with her life and my contacts draining into some slick foreigner, I felt a guilt pang. Jeremy, the sales rep with U.S. Cellular, must have seen the hurt in my eyes because he assured me with the words, “loaner phone.” He told me Little Flip would come in handy should I need to send the new kid in for repair. I’ve resisted making the switch to a smartphone, but not because I’m afraid of technology. Was the gadget that mesmerized people, no matter where they were or whom they were with, really necessary? Was I caving in to “the man” under the crush of social pressure? To be completely transparent, I’d become ashamed of Little Flip. Withdrawing her from my purse became a hide-and-seek game of embarrassment. Answering a text under the table wasn’t easy in a dimly lit restaurant. I know, I shouldn’t be texting in a restaurant. Her case was rubbed raw in places, and her face showed scratches from bouncing along with me on my walks in a pocket with keys. I’m supposed to be a professional. What would people think? My daughter gently encouraged me to look into an update, and whenever we visited one another, there she'd be, having a conversation with hers. Little Flip was mute. Emily got directions, used it for a kitchen timer or grocery list, snapped great pics, etc. I think it may have given her a salsa lesson, I’m not sure. There could be no denying the usefulness of owning a smartphone. But smart is a relative term. The dictionary defines smart in several ways. Clever though LG may be, though not of its own accord, witty it is not. It lacks warmth and a sense of humor, though it does remind me that “life’s good” each time I turn it on, because that’s what LG stands for. It is smart looking, especially after snapping on the turquoise jacket. But it will only remain smart, as in loaded with retrievable knowledge, as long as I pay the bill. Should I let that go a time or two, it would become as dumb as a rock. Another variable of smart is to feel a sharp, stinging pain, like the one felt in my wallet region when Jeremy totaled up the damage, with taxes, for the new bill. How could one be so naive as to think one could trade off for such a diverse gizmo for the same amount. The new kid doesn’t have Groucho Marx wallpaper like LF did. And there’s a good bit of poking, tapping and swiping going on I never had to perform before. Because LG is at least three times bigger, moving it from room to room is like carrying a small, empty platter around, and I feel like a kid playing telephone when I hold it to my ear. I suppose we’ll get to know one another over time. I’ll start remembering she’s in my back pocket before I sit on her. I think I’ll call her Large Gladys — Glady, for short. Life’s good, especially when your phone is asleep. Peggy Dover is a freelance writer living in Eagle Point. Reach her at [email protected]. By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 21, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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