Let me live!

I use a Nokia E series phone. The E71 in particular, and it’s fast becoming pure water phone in Nigeria. Everywhere I turn, someone is sporting one. But I’m not surprised why. I’ve had mine for about a year now and even though I managed to keep it from falling during the first 6 months (you know, the honeymoon period when you cradle your high-end phone like it’s a child), lately I’ve noticed that the phone has been falling to the ground much more! But amazingly, it doesn’t scatter—just sort of bounces around.

My E71 reminds me of a good partner. Dependable, versatile and…stylish.

But you see, now there are all sorts of commercials luring me into buying a Bold. Javelin. Storm or some other funkily-named Blackberry. For sure, the Blackberry is for the fast-tracked, talented, young, techie, financially buoyant (as the Nigerian journalist would say) urban professional!

So I must also own a Blackberry right? After all, I shouldn’t I fit in with my fellow Blackberry-toting yuppies?

The rate at which we Nigerians follow after new phones is amazing. It’s funny, one telecoms provider recently began advertising its latest offering, the Blackberry Javelin and people who already own the Storm (which hit the market just 7 months ago) are already demanding for it, even though the Javelin does not have all the features that Blackberry Storm has!

Even I am beginning to wonder if I’m missing out on something? I love my E71 but now I’ve got my eye on the Blackberry. Am I missing out by not owning a Blackberry? I can get one for 110,000 naira. Chunk change isn’t it? Yeah right.

Isn’t this what we often do in life? We’ve got something good but then because everyone else is treading a certain path, we begin to second guess ourselves and wonder if we shouldn’t follow suit.

Even the more permanent elements of life are not immune from this scrutiny: jobs, cars, partners. All face the uncertainty of being swapped for the seeming upgrade!

My Nokia E71 is one of the best phones I’ve ever used! I use it to get on facebook, gmail, take pictures, write shopping list, save my monthly budgets. Name it, it’s done. It has a GPS and Nokia recently started advertising on Lagos billboards that maps are available at http://www.maps.nokia.com/. What else could a girl want?

Truth is, I might still get a Storm (or more accurately inherit one) if it gives me faster access to the Internet because these days I’m more of a mobile internet user (YES we have internet on our phones in Nigeria! My sister in the States was surprised to learn my phone is my main portal for checking email)

I want a simple life. A life of contentment, not of comparison. I don't want to wake up one day and realize that despite my best intentions, I’ve grown a tail and it’s caught in a high-speed rat race!