It was the year-end shift gathering and everyone on Mike's patrol company, as well as many of their spouses and significant others, were out for a casual dinner at a local Irish pub. At the party were two FNG's, you know, fabulous new guys, who had spent much of the past year working with the company, and who had expertly organized the gathering. One of them, who we will call Dave because that is his name, was there with his two dates. Dave is very charismatic and has no trouble keeping his social calendar full. His dates had traveled from several suburbs away and were both very attractive, but Dave kept being lured away by his true mistress, his rock, his... cell phone. No call went unanswered. No text message unchecked. He and the phone had become one. Althea considered smacking him on the nose with a rolled up menu to refocus him on the ladies already present and accounted for, but they didn't seem to mind. By the end of the evening, the group was wondering if he needed an intervention and a lift to a twelve step group for the "cell-phone-addicted."

Dave is not alone in his addiction. Recently out with friends at a local restaurant, we were seated next to a large table of more than twenty young adults. They all seemed to be close friends, greeting each other with hugs and back slaps as they arrived and then settling in to order food and drinks. Listening to their talk and laughter reminded us of our own college days; sitting in an all-night joint, drinking pot after pot of coffee, just talking and debating and enjoying each others company until the sun began to rise. We were stunned to look over at their table and realize that they were not talking and laughing with each other. Every single person at the table WAS TALKING ON A PHONE! It was as if they had all gathered for the purpose of calling people who were not even there.

And cell phones are not just phones anymore. Oh, no. The primitive stylings from the dark days of 2002 simply will not do! Not only have Blackberries (crackberries?) and iPhones brought the whole information superhighway to our fingertips, but our phones must now reflect our personalities. They have become us. Whole businesses thrive around personalized cell phone cases, flip covers, stickers, adornments, and ringtones to make our phone our own.