I have seen some ugly sights in my life, but one scene I have seen way too many times seems to disturb me more than any other. Maybe I let this get to me a little more than I probably should but I just can’t help it. I always cringe and have to look away when I see a friend or colleague take out his or her sleek iPhone only to see that the front glass is significantly cracked or in some especially serious conditions, completely shattered.

I don’t know what it is, but there is just something about seeing a magnificent piece of technology hampered down into such a pathetic existence. The most disheartening thing about this is that so many people must deal with the shame and agony that comes from a broken iPhone screen simply because it is so easy to do. These phones are more fragile than the WWF wrestling figures that I collected as a kid that would break into four pieces If they graced the ground. I have unfortunately watched first hand the accidental breaking of numerous iPhones. All it takes is a small fumble just a couple feet off the ground to cruelly destroy the joy and connectedness that such a device brings. People who go through this just don’t see their front screens shatter, they see their ego shatter too. Whenever someone whips out a dismantled iPhone others around that person can’t help but feel pity, sympathy, and the “sure glad it wasn’t me” type attitude. Who wants others to feel that way about them?! Walking around with a broken iPhone screen is very much analogous to driving a car with a cracked windshield…only worse.

With the relative ease and the stroke of unluckiness that causes many people to see their cellular devices crumble, I must declare it a minor miracle that over one year after receiving my iPhone it is still intact to this day. As I have mentioned before, I used to go through phones at a very alarming and irresponsible rate. I would lose them, break them, and render them unusable by the abuse I inflicted on them. I shelled over way too much money to Verizon and probably restarted my contacts list about eleven different times. I was a running joke in my family as someone who could not take care of his possessions like a normal, functioning adult. My phone track record was beyond awful.

When I received my iPhone I told myself that things from now on would be different. Instead of treating my phone like some disposable piece of junk I was going to treat it for what it really was…a very valuable mini computer. I took far greater care of my iPhone as I handled it with care, cleaned it regularly, and outfitted it with the coolest case on the planet. I seriously went out of my way (and continue to do so) to make sure my phone would never find itself involved in some freak accident. But really, there is only so much you can do because accidents always happen, especially with phones.

I am so very thankful that I have not cracked my front screen yet. Just a couple hours ago as I exited the movie theater after watching “Lawless” my phone plunged out of my hand as I went to open my car door and fell smack on the concrete, front screen first. While my case covers the back and sides of my phone, the front is exposed. I thought I was screwed. My heart sunk and I quickly felt the sharp disappointment of a nice evening ruined. I rehearsed going into work tomorrow and explaining to our staff member who handles our phones the boneheaded mistake I had made. I fretted over whether my phone would be usable over the long night (yes, I am a little addicted). As I bent over, picked up my device, and then flipped it over to assess the for sure damage that had to have resulted from my clumsiness that amazing feeling of receiving a second chance engulfed my body. My phone’s front screen did not have one crack, one scratch, or one blemish. It made it through the fall completely unscathed.

Over the duration of my time as an iPhone owner, I have probably dropped it about ten times. However, this does not come from being negligent; it just comes from standard use. People drop phones, it just happens when we handle them so much. Back in the day, I probably would have dropped my phone a hundred times so the fact that I have overwhelmingly lowered my drop rate is pretty spectacular. But you want to know what is even more spectacular? Out of those ten times I have accidentally dropped my phone, the screen has not cracked once. I have seen people do far less than me when it comes to dropping their devices and yet they have had to face the grisly scene of a shattered iPhone. I am by no means a lucky guy (well in the grand scheme of things I am a very lucky guy but I am talking more about basic everyday things) so I have no idea why I have had the good fortune of not having to deal with this type of mess. I guess the phone gods look fondly on me.

I couldn’t help but write about this tonight. Driving home from the theater I felt like I had really dodged a bullet. It also served as another wake up call and helped me to refocus on my mission of care and protectiveness that I pledged to when I originally got my iPhone. Make sure to take good care of your phones everyone and buy a good case! We can’t depend on luck. Don’t Blink.