My Phone Was Stolen, Account Was Hacked, But I’m Finally at Peace
To the person who stole my phone and temporarily ruined my life: thank you.
On Thursday night, I paid a brief visit to see a buddy of mine at a bar in New Bedford. I couldn't have been there for more than 20 minutes when my phone was taken right from my side.
I went in for what appeared to be an aggressive "bro hug" from my mate, so I had placed it down on a recycling bin outside of the restaurant to avoid dropping it. Everything happened so fast that to this day, I'm still riddled with confusion.
However, over time, my attitude has shifted from angry to upset to happy.
Here's how it's been progressing:
DAY 1 [INITIAL LOSS OF PHONE]- "To the person who took my iPhone tonight, costing me hours of searching- I hope you enjoy it. I never needed it anyway." -Angry Gazelle
HOURS LATER WITH AN UPDATE- "iCloud has been completely wiped. Everything is gone. We have tried everything to recover, nothing works. I apologize if you're trying to get a hold of me, shoot me a message and I'll get back to you ASAP." -Devastated Gazelle
DAY 2, NO PHONE- "Had to use an actual alarm clock radio to wake up this morning. #TheStruggleIsReal" -Coping Gazelle
Day 3, No Phone [POSTING FROM A LAPTOP]- "Got through an entire 2-Hour workout without a single interruption. Withdrawals are starting to subside and I’m starting to feel mentally unstressed from the toxicity of up-to-date social media and constant social interaction. Might keep this streak going, I actually feel healthy (mentality speaking)." -Positive Reassurance Gazelle
So far, it's shaping out to be OK. My biggest fear was that I had a bunch of contacts who were vital to my job that went missing and also my calendar that held important dates for DJ gigs and weddings. I'm currently working on rebuilding those two things, but the importance of all this is that I have learned to be more cautious about my actions.
In the end, I still have a roof over my head, good people who love me and who I love in return and I'm still alive. It's a major setback, but the good thing about setbacks is that you're never fully defeated, only partially with plenty of room to grow and bounce back.
Although I'm "phone-less" for the time being, I'm getting used to it. Quite honestly, I might ride this train for a bit longer. I'm enjoying the peace and quiet.
Until then, when I finally return to the toxic world of instant social gratification, I'm far from being finished and I will show you how great I really am – with or without a phone.