This hit home for me recently while having a bath. It would have been a non-event, but I stupidly chose to use my smart phone while bathing. This created the necessary conditions for a bad outcome, but it required a catalyst. The culprit in this case was a tiny spider hanging from a tiny thread directly over the tub. I waved it away a few times, but then it suddenly appeared inches from my face. In mock panic I swung at it with my left hand that held the phone. On the follow through, the phone got submerged. My mind blanked for a second before it hit me. I yanked the phone out of the water, but the damage was done. I did everything you're not supposed to do when trying to save a phone from water damage. You should keep it turned off and buried in rice for a day to try and dry it out, but really the damage is done (here's some advice for resuscitating a water damaged phone). If you're fortunate enough to get it working again, internal corrosion will likely take its toll in a few months and the phone will be toast anyway. My phone miraculously recovered for a short window of time that allowed me to backup its data, but soon thereafter it went dark.
So, where's the Butterfly (Spider) effect in all of this? Well, who would expect a harmless, tiny spider floating on a thread above a bath tub to wreak so much havoc in one's life? This episode has convinced me to get Psychiatric counselling for cell phone addiction. The panic I experienced shows that my life has sunk to an unnatural dependence on having a smart phone.
Butterfly Effect, Spider, Wet Cell Phone, Bathing, Phone Addicts
