I'm a Hypocrite - Living with a BB

Speak,See or Hear No Evil

So a few months ago I wrote a little piece on how I was sick of all the stick I was getting for not owning a Black Berry. 'I'm Tired Of Being Ostracised For Not Having A BlackBerry' was an interesting post to write to say the least. But a lot has changed in that time and at the behest request from a couple of my friends, who read my blog, they urged it was time for me to review my post and do an update.

So after looking at alternatives to my trusty Nokia N97 which up until last summer I had for over 2 years it was time for me to look for a new phone. After publicly stating my dislike of BlackBerry (BB) devices there was only two logical choices in my Smart phone decision: A HTC device or the iPhone 4. Obviously my heart was set on the iPhone since I hadn't replaced the iPod Touch I had lost the year before. I can still recall the rush of excitement I got when first taking my iPhone 4 out of the box.

Since I had shopped around i got my iPhone for the best deal on O2 and not my long time mobile provider T-Mobile. It pained me when I had to make the call to cancel my long time contract but it had to be done. I got put through to a nice chap and after he pulled up my details he saw I was a long time loyal customer and he wouldn't let me go without a fight. He asked me what phone I was interested in aside form the iPhone. I was pretty frank with him and let him know there wasn't really one but if I had to choose it would be the BlackBerry. He then proceeded to lay on the metaphorical table an offer I couldn't refuse. I'm not even going to announce what the offer was; all I'm going to say is that it was a "friggin' steal".

So there I was. After years of public shame every time I brought out my battered N97  I now had a brand spanking new iPhone 4 and a white BlackBerry Bold. The cards life deals you are funny. It has to be said that I didn't feel like a hypocrite straight away. Anyone in my position would have done exactly the same - the offer really was that good. My main phone was always going to be my iPhone and I treated it as such. The BlackBerry had no other choice but to fulfil the role of my sidechick in phone terms. But over the growing months the role of the BlackBerry in my life became more prominent. Its influence over me slowly started growing. Then came the day I realised I had become the very thing that I had verbally lambasted in my other post.

While leaving to go to one of my afternoon coaching sessions a few months back I was mindlessly typing away on my BB. While performing that most wondrous of BB skills - The "walking without looking up". I seriously think it should be officially recognised as the sixth sense. While unknowingly perfecting this skill I almost had a head on collision with a young female who - you may have already guessed - was performing the exact same trick on her BB device. While luckily looking up in time to avert an almost certainly painful but ultimately humorous incident I realised I had indeed become a hypocrite. One of the things I put a lot of energy into not being. But it hit me. "I finally noticed it, it finally hit me. Like Tina did Ike in the limo, it finally hit me". I was disgusted with myself. I had to take action before I became one of those dreaded 'CrackBerry' addicts.

So to my readers I admit to you I was a hypocrite. It saddens me to have to tell you this. I know you expect better from me. I will endeavour to make sure such a thing does not happen again. I know quite a few of my friends have the iPhone/BlackBerry combo and having both phones does prove very useful.

I can no longer criticise BB users for the things they do. But you know what they say: "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em".