I turned in my third book on October 6th. I still haven’t heard whether the publishing company wants it or not.

Let me be clear. I am not complaining about this. In fact, I’m lucky to be in this situation. I’m grateful for it. Here’s why:

First, I have a publishing company, and they published two of my books. I waited (and worked) for a long time to be able to say that.

Second, my publisher was interested in reading my third (and proposal for the fourth) book.

Third, I FINISHED THE DAMN BOOK, and I learned a lot about writing and myself in the process. (The latter, in my opinion, is the point of why we’re alive…to figure out who you are and to learn how to be.)

In the process of waiting for four months to hear if the company wants it, I’ve checked my email so many times that my phone should have a divot where my Gmail app lives…or rather lived.

This week, I deleted it.

A few weeks ago, I also deleted Facebook and all game apps from my phone. But that was to minimize distractions and force myself to work.

My phone is absolutely no fun.

That’s right.

I have a no phun phone.

I find myself standing around in the kitchen holding it, thumbs at the ready and they have nowhere to go…no app buttons to hit. No emails to click open. Nothing to like. No one to follow.

Nothing to do in those little minutes of waiting while life packages up the next micro-segment of action for delivery.

What does one do while waiting for the skillet to heat up enough to scramble one’s eggs? Or for the water to heat up at the faucet? Or for the Nespresso machine to brew a cup of coffee? I think maybe this is when people might have wiped down their kitchen counters. Or organized their silverware drawers. Cleaned their coffee pots?

(And what has my phone done to me that I even have to ask these questions?!?)

It’s not enough time to fold a basket of underwear. So laundry is out.

It is enough time to write a haiku. Maybe I should try that…because I don’t need to accomplish something on my to do list in those little minutes. I just want to experience them in something other than a state of bewildered boredom. The problem is that I am in the habit of being entertained during those little minutes. Without my apps, I’m like an addict who’s been cut off from her dealer.

I’m relearning how to be in the little minutes of nothing. I can’t believe I’ve forgotten in the first place. Ten years ago, who knew that a super phone was a possibility? Now my thumbs are bereft without it. Aren’t thumbs part of what shot us to the top of the food chain? Bad news, folks, they’ve conspired with a 6x2 inch screen to take over our existence.

So I’ve started my own little resistance movement.

If you want to join, email me, tweet, post send me a letter. Please. I’ll read it in the kitchen. I really need something to do while I wait for my Nespresso.

ANISE RAE