Media Binge: My Mom Was Always Right

That moment when I realized my mom was right about everything was the most sour-sweet moment of my life. Every argument, turmoil, and tension in our relationship was fueled by my ignorance and stubborn personality. The moment I took a step back, accepted I was eternally wrong (while simultaneously thinking of multiple cuss words in my mind) is something every strong-minded, independent teenager goes through. Most recently, this occurred over a battle between phone and my needy mother.

Being in college, I don't get to see my mom very often which makes me sad because she is my best friend. She lives in Omaha, but is just so busy with work, my siblings, and her endless hobbies that she rarely gets to come to Lincoln. Last week, my brother had a track meet at Lincoln High, so my mom came down, and I got to spend some time with her.

We were on our way to lunch, and without even realizing it, I had been silent the whole trip because my nose was buried in my phone. I didn't even notice until she made a slightly passive aggressive comment (probably about how my eyes are going to go crosseyed from staring at the screen that close). At first I gave her the classic eye roll and purposely audible "sigh," but I actually caught myself mid-sass. Spending time with my mom was more valuable to me than ever before in my life, and I wasn't going to let my stupid phone get in the way.

For the entire track meet and dinner, I kept my phone in my purse. My mom and I shared a lot of laughs and stories, catching up over the month we spent apart. For us, being apart is pretty hard, considering my mom is my best friend, no matter how cheesy that sounds. (Here's a cute picture of us because I smile every time I see it). Since she's my best friend, I shouldn't be treating my phone like it is instead of my mom.

Honestly, I did have temptations to take a peek every time I heard it vibrate or even hold it in my hand as a type of "security blanket" when walking places. I think this is just something that has become habit for me and the rest of my generation. Seems like no one under the age of 30 can go anywhere without their phone, and that's just sad when you think about it. It's a societal norm, but not a good one.

Overall, the media binge, no matter how short it was, was refreshing and well-needed. Life's little moments are taken for granted so often. My mom is more important to me than anything else, and I'm going to start proving that to her by staying off my phone more. Maturity and self control are going to pay a major roll in this, but it's time to sever the relationship between my phone and I. Hate to say it, but moms are always right.