I'm sure I'm not the only one who's cell phone is equal parts blessing and curse, but there are moments, as a working sub, when you wonder what you've done. Of course, reaping the benefits is always a good thing, and getting to be just as much so the closer to summer we get. A lot of my irritation regards choices *I* have made with regard to it. Let me explain. Utilitarian device though it is, I've chosen to differentiate my callers, including my schools, with their own custom ringtones; thus, at 5:20 in the morning, regardless of how I'm sleeping, (which can actually be pretty soundly now,) I run the risk of being awakened by either the Michigan State Fight Song (my "general" caller ringtone, which I still relegate the automated systems to,) or Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," if I actually recieve an actual phone call from a human being in one of my districts. (Yeah, go ahead and call me old-school, I don't care; there are plenty out there with songs by 50-Cent or others. As for the idea that "I wanna be your sledgehammer," I like to think that's just confidence in what I do. I'm sure it'd be different if the calls weren't coming in.) Family and friends have yet another seperate tone to identify the ones who might actually have my cell number, and Martha, of course, gets her own special one, so I know exactly when she's calling, too. All of this can come to naught if I'm forced to leave it on "vibrate," as I am much of the time during the day, either when I'm working, or when I drop in occasionally to see Martha at work. Well, then, of course, I have to turn it off completely, because effectively she works in a doctor's office, and that's a big no-no, having your cell phone on in a doctor's office your wife works in. Bad manners to do otherwise. There are times when it really doesn't matter if it stays on. In a special-ed classroom, trust me, almost noone will care if my pocket starts playing marching band music, Peter Gabriel, or some other little ditty. And as I've said about Court-Involved, I'm forced to leave my belongings locked up outside, cell phone included, so the only one who might be remotely amused by it is the receptionist. And let us not forget the instances where you might forget to turn it off; kids get a chuckle out of it if your indiscretion is audible, other church-goers can be amused, or less than charitable, depending upon their personal bent. All of this, of course, doesn't really mean very much, big picture. It's a modern-world thing, I'm sure you can relate.