I've been a loyal Verizon user for over a decade. My phone number
has not changed since my college days (back when texting seemed like
too much work). I've grown irrationally attached to my phone number...
together we've made friends, stayed connected with old ones, and even
deleted the toxic ones. I've taken my South Carolina area code with me
even when I changed my address to places like Hawaii, Texas, and Virginia.
For the most part I've been happy with Verizon (wireless... Fios is a whole
different story). So why would I want to switch plans? Basically my cell
phone bill is highway robbery. I despise talking on the phone and I'm
notorious for going on vacation and forgetting my charger. Plus I'm always leaving my
phone at home. I also cannot justify having internet on my phone. Sure,
it would be convenient, but I don't have a job that requires checking
my email every moment of the day and for the most part it would be a
distraction (facebook). That said, I'm the kind of person that needs the
bare minimum: low minutes, no internet, average amount of texting.
The good people at Verizon have never heard of such a plan. The
closest thing they've roped me into is a total waste and I'm a sucker
for resigning my contract for a new phone and no hassle.... for a little
more bread every 2 years since the 1990s. Wow.
Ok, so I switch service providers. They have to let me keep my old
number, right? Wrong. If your old number has a different area code,
the new company doesn't necessarily have to let you keep it. I could cut
my bill in half if I switched companies and changed my number... and I told
the salesperson I had to think about it! What is there to think about? It's a
giant chunk of change I can use for exotic vacations or shoes or (snooze) save!
Don't worry, I'm going to make the switch. But saying goodbye to my 864
number is not going to be easy, and the fact that I never realized I had
an emotional attachment to a set of 10 numbers assigned to me in college
is baffling. My number and I have been through it all. We've gotten news
about births and deaths and all the joys and tragedies between. We've waiting
impatiently for that guy to call and fought the urge to answer
on the first ring when he did. We've ignored the jerks and creepers
and we've listened to friends when they needed to talk at 3am.
We've texted plans and ideas and directions by the hundreds.
I was on the phone with my mother when my sister gave birth,
and with my dear 864 number I heard the first cries of
baby Katelyn coming into the world when I was thousands
of miles and an ocean away. So today I've decided to save the nostalgia
for photographs and keepsakes and the tangible. I
bid farewell to my 10 digit identity....
It's time to move on.
And now... In the spirit of memorizing a new number:
