The Dinosaur Blues

   If there were warnings, I'm sure I missed them. I think I even chose to ignore them, or at least didn't think about what they meant. It started about 6 months ago with storage space messages on my phone. Ok, I figured I'd better start clearing caches and deleting apps I don't use. I was able to continue to limp along for another few months without a problem. Then I noticed I couldn't really use Facebook. It would load, but you couldn't see anything further than one screen. No scrolling was possible. I waste too much time on there anyway, right? I just gave up using it on my phone. A small resentful seed was slowly growing in the back of my mind.
   That evil empire (fill-in-the-blank) cell phone company is trying to force me to get a new phone. Damn those bastards! I will resist! I happen to like my current phone. The biggest thing I like about it is the fact that it's not - big, that is. I already have a tablet, thank you and this phone fits in my pocket. I continued to limp along, deleting unnecessary photos and I figured as long as I can still make a call or get a text, I'm still good. I still had my bare minimum needed functions. Dinosaurs that we are, we try to get things repaired unless and until they are obviously and sometimes way beyond dead.
    Finding people who actually fix things in a throw away society, however, is becoming too much fun for humans.  I'm also convinced the profit on cell phones is huge so these creatures have a huge incentive to try to sell you a new phone. I have a very strong incentive NOT to buy one. I'm quite sure I will be told by representatives of the evil empire that my device is no longer supported by the manufacturer. I get the whole built in obsolescence thing but that doesn't mean I won't fight it. I have been trying to adhere to a get one good thing and keep it forever philosophy for larger ticket items, at least.
    My phone was currently at the point where you couldn't use it because it was choked with messages blocking the thing from functioning. I decided to research my issue and found other people who have had my problem. Lo and behold there are others who have dealt with this bologna but regrettably they have all had to wipe their devices memory. This was not looking good. It's funny to think that I grew up and survived college without a cell phone. Today, if I forget my device, it feels like I left the house without pants. Something is missing!