Samsung Galaxy A17

I had rather hoped to end my days without ever having used a smartphone. Over the last several years, I have been irritated by distracted drivers umbilically attached to their devices, to name just one of a plethora of bad habits habitually associated with the device.

Why did I finally order a Samsung Galaxy A17 smartphone to be delivered some time this week?

Quite simply, Martine gave me an ultimatum. She does all the laundry in our household, and the laundry room in our apartment building is converting from coin-operated to smartphone-operated. It’s all because I have this prejudice for clean linen: Martine does not wish to go to a laundromat to do the washing and drying, so I yielded with as good a grace as I could muster.

Does this mean I plan to become one of the legion of cellular lotos-eaters who have ticked me off for so long? Not on your life! The main purpose of the new phone will be to allow Martine to do the laundry on the premises. I will not even carry it with me when I go places—unless I am rendezvousing with my brother or a friend at a restaurant or other location. In fact, most of the time it will be turned off. And, as per usual, I will not read text messages, particularly when sent by politicians (who have junked up my Iris Flip Phone during this current election cycle).