💭 10 things I miss from before smartphones

1. Being unreachable. I left the house and that was it. I was trusted to be back when I said I would. It felt free.

2. Making plans… and showing up.No last-minute cancellations. No scrolling while waiting for friends to arrive. We’d make plans on the last week of school for the holidays, and somehow turned up at the time and place we said we would.

3. Mixtapes. Hours spent rewinding, recording, picking the perfect track to say what words couldn’t. There was a skill in recording live radio, pressing buttons at the exact right moment (Radio 1 was a firm favourite)

   
   
   
   

   

4. Phones with cords. Tethered to a wall, but free from distraction. We’d spend hours lying on our beds chatting away – without seeing ourselves on a screen in real time.

5. Weekend mornings. Pyjamas. Cereal. TV with five channels. And nothing digital to disrupt the moment.

6. Passing notes in class.Folded secrets in messy handwriting. The excitement of having to wait until you received a note back – maybe even the next day.

7. Photographs you had to wait for.Even in 2006 we took disposable cameras on night’s out – rushing to Boots the next day to get them developed. They were perfectly imperfect and we loved sticking them on our walls with blue tack.

8. Long games with no end in sight.Monopoly marathons, Game of Life, Gin Rummy – Old Maid. We played and we laughed with no screens to distract us.

9. Missing out… and not knowing.If something happened and you weren’t there, life went on. No story to watch. No comparison to make. We were happier with our own lives.

10. Presence. Full presence meant that days were longer and memories were stronger.

We'd love to hear from you with the things you miss or wish for now! Comment below ☺️

Laura x