Last night I arrived home and fell quickly into panic. A panic that involved delirious frantic searching, digging through pockets, throwing around belongings and racing thoughts. “No, that couldn’t have just happened, could it?” was my first thought. Nah. Check again. And as I checked again, the reality of what had just transpired sank in and the tears began to flow … along with the swears (sorry gentle reader).
Have you ever had a moment where the truth hits you like a speeding train with such clarity that of course, nothing else makes sense. It’s like in the movies when the foreshadowing ties the plot together perfectly, and you often wonder how you didn’t see it coming. Sometimes you trick yourself into thinking you did see it coming.
Well, last night was like that. You see, my phone was stolen on my commute home.
The hysteria that ensued after figuring this out was short lived. There was little I could do, as the bus (and sticky-fingered culprit) were long gone. My biggest concern was my personal information on my phone and my cell phone account.
So after a small tantrum and a plethora of distasteful phrases, I pulled myself together enough to get over to my cell phone provider to fix the issue. Of course, they were able to turn off the SIM card, rendering the phone at least unserviceable. I was reassured by the guy behind the counter that, since I had set my phone with a security pin, my information should be relatively safe. Still, I will be doing the long and painful process of changing all of my passwords. ALL of them. (Silver lining moment: At least I’ll finally have a reason to follow Gina Trapani’s safe password tips.)
However little could be done about my phone itself. Being in the middle of a recent phone contract made me illegible for any upgrades. So to regain sanity, control over my technology destiny and a working phone, I had to replace my beloved G2 at cost. Ugh. The pocketbook felt that zing.
So lessons learned. A good deal of them. Like don’t leave your phone in a side backpack, you daft idiot. Be aware of your surroundings. Even more. Backup your phone. Even though I’m not modding anymore, having to reset everything up is annoying to say the least. Technology dependency is a blessing and a curse. I love that my information easily syncs but not being able to get at it drives me crazy. I should really work on this dependency.
I’m trying to look at this situation with a positive slant. I’m not ready to take the bus to the train yet, so I’ll be adding another 20 minutes of walking a day. That’s healthy.
I’m changing all of my passwords. That’s added security. So that’s a good thing.
My phone now will reside in my front pocket, and I’ll avoid taking it out on public transit altogether. Already I didn’t like having it in my front pocket, but it’s a small price to pay.
Although in the end, I hope this is the end of the lessons, and I can live happily ever after with my (new) G2.
Kind Words, Big Results
“Kate will be an instant asset for any company she joins. Her unique understanding of how the digital landscape and content play nicely together is second to none. Kate has the ability to jump into any conversation about digital strategy or tacos and feel at ease. I've enjoyed working with her in various roles and she creates and designs THE BEST presentations, regardless of the subject. As a team member or leader within an organization, Kate gets my highest recommendation. ”
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“One of the best things I've ever done in my career is work with Kate Hamilton. Her enthusiasm for all things editorial, not to mention her energy and passion for any project she's involved with, is contagious. In addition to being a natural born leader, she's also a creative type, a thinker, a stickler for details, and someone with incredible vision and the drive to get things done. I always marvel at how she is constantly teaching herself new things. She always seems to be ahead of the curve on anything related to social media, and she also has an eye for design. This lady rocks! And she continues to be a mentor to me and others in journalism and communications.”
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“I had the pleasure of working with Kate for just over a year and watching her in action. Kate is an immensely talented digital marketer, account manager and processes guru who balances a keen eye for detail with an almost intuitive grasp of the big picture. Her deep wells of industry knowledge allow her to bring a depth of expertise and professionalism to almost any task she sets her mind to. During her time at IntraLink Global, she was instrumental in implementing many integral processes that set a framework for how we operate. I learned a lot from working with Kate, and her guidance and mentorship was invaluable in my professional development. ”
“Kate did and excellent job with our website. We have received several compliments on how nice it looks and how easy it is to navigate. She also went above and beyond to make sure that we were able to update and the website ourselves through Wordpress. I cannot gush about how awesome she is and how happy we are with the site and her dedication to the project.”
“I met Kate through the Association of Women Journalists (AWJ) and immediately was impressed (and inspired) by her creativity, drive, work ethic and use of social media. Her passion for journalism, digital media and communications overall is evident in the projects she takes on, including LoganSquarist, an online news outlet that she founded that uses social media to socialize the neighborhood. What I admire about Kate is her vitality as well as her desire to keep learning and growing personally and professionally. Kate is a modern-day renaissance woman who is multitalented (ask about her travel, knitting and marathon exploits!) and who brings instant value to any team or organization.”