Of course the ancient Greeks needed worry stones. They were constantly stressing about getting lost in the giant mazes and attacked by Minotaurs, or perhaps getting lured to their death on the rocks by the beautiful Sirens that sang to them on their commute to work. Then, if you were a guy, you had to constantly be on the lookout for one up the Gods coming down from Mount Olympus and trying to impregnate your girlfriend. It wasn’t the Gods fault. I mean, seriously, there were only about 12 of them. That’s like going to a high school with only 20 kids in your graduating class. Occasionally you’re going to have to date a freshman. Or even worse, you hook up with a cougar (hot older woman) and she turns out to be your mom. Bottom line, ancient Greece was a stressful place and some crazy old crackpot with an impossibly long name that ends in “ates” decided that rubbing a stone with your thumb would relax everybody. It was the ancient version of the pet rock. I’m pretty sure it was advertised in the Parthenon by the Sham Wow guy.
I propose that we as a culture have unkowingly created our own high tech version of the worry stone. The cell phone. What decreases worries more than communication? Our cell phones are our links to the entire world by call, text, I.M., and the internet. If we have a question, somehow, some way there is an answer in that little ball of technology we hold in our hand. And don’t we often just hold it, perhaps looking at it, feeling the weight of it and the smooth curves of it in our palm, reassured knowing that because of that little device we are never truly alone? Unless of course the battery dies, you can’t get a signal, or you’ve lost your charging cord. That’s when Zeus comes down from Mount Olympus and offers to charge it for you with one of his lightning bolts in exchange for sex.
Ha! I never thought of it that way, but it's true. I feel slightly anxious if I forget my mobile phone… or the batter dies.
Great post! This cracked me up…it never occurred to me, reading Greek mythology in jr. high school, to think, “What the fuck!”
Hilarious but so very true! I can't leave the house without my cell and when it happens I feel lost. It's a little sad if you really think about it.
I'm glad my lack of smell mention on my blog was so interesting. Lol. I actually have a great long term memory but a really bad short term. I've never even given my lack of smell a second thought when it came to memories though. Hmm. Now you have me wondering.
If you actually look it up and find anything good about lack of smell and memories then please feel free to email it to me. The address is on my blog.
I leave my phone at home all the time. Drives my husband batty.
LOL – Great post!
Why is it that I can't leave home without my cell hpone when I lived without it for years…and everyone before us did, too??
this really is true. i mean, i don't typically freak out [except it usually happens on the day i am expecting a call], but as a collective, ye olde cellie sure is our new worry stone.
word verf: liable. real words now?
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**I propose that we as a culture have unkowingly created our own high tech version of the worry stone
I so agree 🙂
Once I lost my cellphone for abt 3mins and I panicked as if I was hvn a heart attack! it was so not necessary but it somehow happened. Im ashamed of myself 🙁
Keshi.
Hi Phil. Thanks for commenting on my blog.
That's an interesting hypothesis and it makes sense. I forget my phone and it's the end of the world. What ifs run through my head faster than lightning.