Crackberry

A few years ago, in preparation for a week long business trip, I asked the managing partner in charge of the client, "Do you think I could get a Blackberry?" At the time, the firm's policy was to provide Blackberries only to partners - not to associates. My colleague, Andy, was pleased as punch with this policy. To him, no Blackberry meant that no partner could e-mail him at all hours of the night with ridiculous demands and expectations for a response. To be fair, my firm is not at all like that, and I can still count on one hand the number of times a partner has called me at home or on vacation regarding a work-related matter. But Andy was on to something and that something appears to be an epidemic: Blackberry = Crackberry. That's right, Blackberries are addictive.

The managing partner accommodated my request given that I would be out of the office for an entire week. And to his credit, he warned me to resist the urge to check it 'round the clock. I am just not that strong. Admittedly, a good portion of the time, I check to see if I have received any new personal e-mails. I love receiving personal e-mails. Who doesn't? I'm not always great about responding, but keep 'em coming!

The real problem with the Crackberry, though, is that I never truly get away from the office. Through no fault of anyone else, I am always plugged in. On our drive to San Antonio this week, I was tapping away on that thing on various work matters. I accepted invitations to join conference calls on the road. My husband thought I was ridiculous. It is not unreasonable to expect some free time to move halfway across the country. I should simply explain that I am unavailable for a couple of days, at least until I get settled.

But I can't. Because I am a Crackberry-head.