Keeping up with Twist Phelan

A Stanford graduate and former plaintiff’s trial lawyer, Twist Phelan writes the critically-acclaimed legal-themed Pinnacle Peak mystery series (Poisoned Pen Press). Her short stories appear in anthologies and mystery magazines and have won or been nominated for the Thriller, Ellis, and Derringer awards. A collection of her best--A Stab in the Heart: Collected Crime & Mystery Stories--has just been released as an ebook. Currently, Twist is finishing up a suspense novel set in the business world. Find out more at www.twistphelan.com.

Keeping up with Twist Phelan

I just bought a new Blackberry; my old one didn’t support the Kindle app. Yesterday, I took my skis to the shop to have the new Salomon ProPulse bindings installed. I’m debating between the Campy Super Record 11 and the SRAM Red gruppos for my new road bike.

I’ve always enjoyed owning the latest in technology and athletic equipment. I’m a compulsive adopter. Whatever the new generation gadget, I have to try it.

Remember the Apple Newton? I pre-ordered it as soon as it was announced. When TiVo debuted, I received a letter from the company founder, thanking me for being one of his first 100 customers. (He also sent me a hat with the little TiVo guy on it.) If the guys at Atomic tweaked their skate skis so they were a tad faster, I was at the head of the line to order a pair.

It’s not just tech and sports stuff. I’ve always tried to make sure that everything in my life is the latest and the greatest.
 

Last week I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond with a friend. While she shopped for towels, I checked out the gadgets in the kitchen department. There were things I had never heard of: mushroom brush, bacon press, olive stoner, S’mores maker. I’d put all of them in my basket before my friend grabbed me by the arm and led me into the china section.

“Listen,” she said. “I’d like to introduce you to Twist. You hate to cook. You don’t read cookbooks. You don’t watch cooking shows. You don’t eat pork. The instructions are still taped to the top rack of your oven. You don’t need any of this stuff in your kitchen!”

Of course, she was right. Everything in my life doesn’t have to be the newest gimmick or the latest advancement. I put it all back, except the S’mores maker, which rests on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet—never used.

Keeping up is often about following someone else's agenda. The bloggers and tweeters who send out news of the latest beta. The marketers, publicists, and journalists who blanket us with coverage about the newest gear. The geniuses who invent the stuff. The producers who make it in vast quantities.

Too many of my priorities were getting sidelined or trampled when I got caught up in keeping up. The endless onslaught of new things met invented needs I readily embraced. They weren’t necessarily the things I really required for happiness and fulfillment. I think if I can stop trying to keep up with all the should-haves and must-haves, I’ll do better at staying current with the things that really matter to me.

Bike and ski stuff? You bet. New dictation software or an improved e-reader? Absolutely. Sunglasses with a built-in MP3 player or an interactive refrigerator? Not.

Is there a Girl Scout leader out there who needs a S’mores maker?       

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