Inspired by Robert Fulghum and his book, “All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” I realized that the dongle for my iPhone has taught me more life lessons than any teacher. What’s a dongle you ask? It’s a small device that allows for headphones to be connected to the newer iPhones. I can just hear the tens of people excited about reading an article about a glorified phone accessory.

At first, I didn’t want a dongle, nor did I even think that Apple would remove a headphone jack from their flagship phones. The choice between charging my phone or using my earbuds wasn’t something I foresaw. I would have to make sure I always had a full battery but it also prolongs the life-span of my phone. The dongle taught me to take care of my belongings.

However, some days, I would forget to bring my dongle with me when I go to class in the morning. The feeling of not being able to listen to the newest album release during passing period was agonizing. So I made a checklist and bought an organizer for all my stuff, and to this day, I’ve never forgotten my wallet, rings, charger and of course, my dongle. The dongle taught me to become more organized

There are times when I lost my dongle, usually due to its small size and the fact that they sometimes fell out of my pocket. These things aren’t cheap either. Apple charges $9 for this little doohickey. I try keep a couple bucks with me because of the fear of losing it again, which created a snowball effect that lead to me saving more and more money. The dongle taught me to try be financially stable.
Dongle, by vinhtran41099
I remember the first time I lost my dongle was when I was on vacation, so I spent a whole hour looking for it. A tiny object plus a shaggy carpet doesn’t make for a good combination. I stepped on the little thing and I throbbed in pain, but that was before I realized that inches away was a mouse trap. I could have had a whole toe cut off, or at least I would have needed quite the pedicure. The dongle taught me how to become more aware of my surroundings

It may seem farfetched but dongles can bring people together. One of my friends needed to take an important phone call and I was the only one with a dongle. She’s now one of my best friends and it was all because of a combination of inconvenience and being at the right place at the right time. The dongle taught me how to share what I have with others.

Although I would definitely jump at the chance to ditch my reliance on a $9 accessory, I’m grateful that I learned to better my life with this dongle. It may be annoying and there are times that I wish I never upgraded my phone, at least I can run Fortnite.