Another step toward freedom

Prioritizing for new paths.

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

I’m boarding a plane for the first time in five months today.

Destination: Salt Lake City, Utah.

Duty calls.

I’ll be among the working media for tonight’s NBA matchup between the visiting Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz. Fifteen years before you were born, Parker, games between these two franchises were a big deal. It would have been a dream assignment. Google “MJ pushed off” and see for yourself.

But more than a quarter-century later? Not so much.

The Jazz are the worst team in the NBA. The Bulls aren’t quite as bad, but they’re not good. They’re bad at being good and bad at being bad, which, oddly, is worse than being the league’s worst team.

I know none of this matters to you, Parker, which is exactly why I haven’t boarded a flight in five months. Adhering to “the motto” — “Don’t let anything or anyone interrupt our relationship” — I scaled back on work travel this season more than I ever have in my career as a traveling writer. When you find your true love, everything else feels like a distraction.

Work trips that conflicted with our Thursdays and alternating weekends have been non-negotiable this season. I’ve seen so many alley-oops and “and-ones” that I can spot them before they happen.

Now that you’re 11, your “and-ones” are what truly matter — each score you achieve in life and every moment you rise above challenges, showing your resilience.

I’ve altered my life and career to be a positive presence as you grow up, Parker. If it means putting you first, I won’t hesitate to do it again.

But I find the timing and destination of my first flight in five months to be fascinating — and it has nothing to do with basketball.

I was in Salt Lake City exactly three years ago when I bought my current cell phone. I remember my amazement when the personable salesman at a downtown AT&T store graciously and giddily showed me all the cool features on my new gadget.

Back then, even the salesman still grew animated when revealing the phone’s facial recognition technology.

I was an easy sell.

My previous phone was dying a slow death. It no longer held a charge. My battery life wouldn’t last for a flight from Sacramento to Salt Lake City, never mind departing from Chicago.

Meanwhile, the camera was a total mess. My attempts to record video ended with shaky subjects and wobbly pictures unfit for public enjoyment.

While on a three-game road trip with the Bulls in March 2022, I had no choice but to purchase a new phone.

I signed my contract on March 16, 2022.

For my iPhone 13 Pro, I paid $1,099.99.

After signing a three-year payment plan, with 36 installments of $30.53, I’m happy to report I’ve finally paid off my cell phone. My last automated payment is scheduled to be withdrawn Tuesday.

Even though I needed a new phone, I wasn’t obligated to buy one of the best models on the market. And when those automated withdrawals came like clockwork each month, my commitment really made me reflect on what I signed up for.

As much as I enjoy my phone’s new features and reliability, I love that it’s now paid off even more.

With my cell phone debt behind me, I’ll regain control of $366 per year.

That amount might not sound like much, especially not when broken down monthly. But I’ve always hated debt. I can’t stand the feeling of owing anyone anything. Paying off my cell phone also brings me closer to another motto with which I strongly identify: the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, saying, “All Money In, No Money Out.”

I’m learning to borrow money wisely, however, which is referred to as “good debt.” It’s a necessary tool along our wealth-building journey and, with excellent credit, a strategy I must be comfortable maximizing.

More than anything, when I look back on my cell phone adventure, I’m reminded how much can change in three short years — people and places, plans and priorities.

As I return to the pristine place where this all started, I’m accepting that my path is being rerouted, leading me to different opportunities, deeper connections and greater fulfillment.

The past three years have been a constant evolution, with each twist and turn bringing me closer to the life I truly want and the fulfillment we all deserve.