...In a material world.

I woke up at 7:15 this morning and got dressed to go to the AT&T store. I anticipated there being a few people standing in line when I arrived. I underestimated the geeks of Auburn. There were a good thirty people standing in a line that wrapped half-way around the building!

"Screw it" said the little, sleepy voice inside my head. "No cell phone is worth this."

Thus began the war between me and myself. In this instance, I fought that voice and decided to plop myself in this line. The store was set to open at 8:00. I anticipated waiting an hour, which would mean that I'd be in and out by 8:45. Wishful thinking. They only let eight people into the store at a time. After the initial eight, it was one in- one out.

I struck up conversations with the people surrounding me in line. We laughed, fanned ourselves in the 8 a.m. heat (seriously?), and scooted forward ever so slowly. Eventually, we turned the corner, literally. The front of the store had a nice breeze and a cooler of water provided by the kind folks at AT&T. Finally, we were within twenty feet of the door.

It was at this time that Debbie, the store Manager came out and addressed me and my fellow lemmings.

"We're runnin' low," Deb said. "This is the 'iffy-zone' right in here," she said as she pointed directly at the column of air between me and the person in front of me. Good. Great. Grand. Wonderful. I had been officially declared a denizen of the "iffy-zone". I was doomed.

"I'm outta here," said the sleepy voice in my head. Once again, I fought it off. This time it was not so much a testament of my fortitude, but the fact that NOBODY else in line was leaving. I had to stay, through thick or thin.

Finally, I made it into the store, not at 8:45 but at 10:00! That's right, I waited in line for almost two and a half hours for a cell phone. Anyhow, I had reached the promised land. Air conditioning and accessories. I asked permission to approach the bench. After exchanging information, my sales representative Kimberly placed a black box on the counter. "You got the last black iPhone in the store," she said. The heavens opened up, choirs began singing, I had been smiled upon this day. Mission accomplished.

Dreams can come true. All I had to do was repeatedly go against my better judgment, sacrifice self for the pinnacle of cellular technology.