upon causing the Walmart employee great concern over my ancient iPhone

“Oh!” the Walmart employee gasps. “What do you have there?”

“It’s my iPhone.”

“How old is it?”

“2020.”

“Oh, dear. You need a new one. Which carrier do you use?”

“Mint.”

“Hmmm…I don’t know that one. But you know - we have a deal right now with one of our carriers. You’ve should check it out, because you need a new phone, honey.”

“Actually - I think I’m doing just fine, thanks.”

I still wonder why I caused the Walmart employee such great concern over my iPhone SE 2020. A piece of technology a mere four years old. It seemed near offensive to her that I would even possess the bravery (or is it the insensitivity?) to bring out this ancient device in the garish light of the fluorescents. The light under which all our private choices, like which phone to use, are revealed.