This photo is NOT of my pocket. I don't wear denim and I don't keep my phone in my back pocket. What I do is pull out my phone 100-200 times a day, it seems, to do something.

It gave me pause to consider how dependent I am, you are, and we all are on that little piece of glass, plastic and metal to run our lives. We are now more dependent on that piece of technology than almost anything else in our world.

This is a story about a day in the life of my phone, the official resident of my pocket.

When I was a kid, things were different. They were for you too. The biggest difference between yesterday and today is what is in your pocket and how often you rely on what’s in your pocket, on your phone.

Not sure why we still call it a 'phone' since making phone calls is among the least useful things we do with our phone, or at least the least frequent things we do with our phones.

I don't have a better name, however. We could call it a pocket computer, but that's not cute or witty. We could call it a Life Control Center, but that would deny lack of control we have over our lives some days.

Whether we control our smart phone, or it controls us, is a subject for another day, but today, for a just a minute, can you imagine NOT having a smart phone? What would you do? 

Today's smart phone continues to take functions of life and jam them into our pocket. I recently made a list of 30 actions that emerged from my pocket in a day, that weren’t there 30 years ago. Some weren’t there 20 years ago, and still others weren’t there only 10 years ago.

The scary part of this? What else will be added to our pockets in the next ten years that we can’t even imagine?

We’ve all heard talk about how our smart phones are more powerful than the computer that sent a man to the moon in 1969, but recently I became fascinated by the monopoly that my smart phone has over my interactions and life. 

Here’s a ‘day in the life’ of my pocket.

• Although it was by my bedside, because I don't put things in my pockets when I sleep, my phone's alarm app (1) went off and helped me start my day.
• After I put on my running shoes, shorts and fluorescent top, (for running in the dark) I opened the Fitbit app (2) to track the five-mile run as part of my half-marathon training.
• After quickly checking the Weather app (3) on my phone to see if I needed additional warmth against the morning chill, I decided I was good to go.
• The audio book (4) I was halfway through was restarted, and I listened through my earphones.
• To keep an even pace when running, I also fired up a metronome app (5) on my phone at 165 beats per minute to help me start slower and finish faster than I normally would if left to my own pace setting.
• The heart app (6) used to avoid too much stress on the body and keep me injury free was logging my heart rate so I could keep it between 140 and 160 bpm during the run.

• As I finished my workout and headed to the shower I listened on an app to my favorite podcast (7) while I got ready for the day.
• The digital scale, attached to my phone with an app (8), then recorded my weight.
• As I dressed, my phone showed a message from the Post Office (9) that listed the mail and packages that would be delivered later today.
• During a quick stop by the supermarket to grab a few things, I used their app (10) on my phone to scan items and pay, totally skipping the lines.
• Then, using the MBTA commuter rail app (11) on my phone I bought a round trip ticket to North Station for my meeting in Boston.
• When I plugged in the address of the station I would be leaving from on the GPS app (12) on my phone, it let me know I was 22 minutes and 16 miles away.

• Before I arrived at the train station, I stopped at a close by Cumberland Farms where I used their app (13) on my phone to pay for gas, saving 10 cents a gallon, and then for my coffee.
• The music that played on my phone (14) as I entered the parking garage was mostly from the 70s, but it still sounded good.
• The parking app (15) on my phone let me pay for parking at the train station.
• The conductor scanned the QR code on the digital ticket (17) on my phone and wished me a good day.
• Since Wi-Fi on the train is so unreliable, I used the hotspot feature on my phone (16) and I was able to work on my computer during the trip.
• When the train went through Cambridge, I saw some cool graffiti, so I pulled out my phone and used the camera (18) to capture the images.

• As I stood on Causeway Street across from North Station, I pulled the Uber app on my phone (19), and I punched in my destination in Charlestown.
• Since it is so easy to process email on the phone, I went through the ten or so communications I received (20) during the commute while I waited for the Uber.
• After I arrived at my destination, I paid and tipped the driver (21) through my phone.
• On the ride, I had pre-ordered a turkey sausage and egg sandwich on a multi-grain bagel and a decaf coffee through the Dunkin app (22) on my phone, and it was waiting for me when I arrived at the store near the company I was visiting.
• When I finished eating, I logged the food elements into an app (23) on my phone that I use to track my nutritional progress during the day.
• Just then, I realized that I forgotten to deposit a check I received, so I opened the banking app (24) on my phone, completed the details, took photos of the front and back of the check and made the deposit.
• Then, I noticed a text message on my phone from my doctor about an upcoming visit, so I opened up the note and pre-registered for my visit on the 'myChart' app (25).

• After I finished my meeting, and Uber-ed back to North Station, while I was waiting for the return train, I pulled out my phone and read the Boston Globe Sports section (26).
• My location under TD Garden reminded me that I am going to the Bruins game next week, so I paid for parking in advance under the Garden on an app (27) on my phone.
• Immediately after, I also double checked to make sure that the digital tickets for the game are in the correct location on my phone: the digital wallet (28).
• Just before I boarded the train, my wife texted me a message that she loves me, and it popped up on my phone (29).
• I texted her back but I'm not at liberty to share the message details with you. (30)

Imagine if I was tech-savvy?