"Sweep away the clutter of things that complicate our lives." - Henry David Thoreau
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Chicago Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune News Service --
Nathen Cantu jotted down dozens of telephone numbers he had programmed into his cell phone but never bothered to learn.
The Mundelein High School senior then shut down the phone that for years has been a social lifeline to his friends and a reassurance to his family. He surrendered it to his teacher last week, beginning a month without a text message or single call.
Five days later, Cantu was feeling twinges of withdrawal.
"It kind of feels naked, like you don't have something there that should be there," Cantu said.
More than a dozen students at the north suburban high school this year committed to going without something different each month, borrowing a page from author Henry David Thoreau, who famously withdrew to Walden Pond for two years "to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what (nature) had to teach."
The Mundelein teens' project began in November, when they gave up sugar and eating at chain restaurants. A television blackout followed in December, and January's challenge was to forgo using sheets of new paper. They pledged in February to avoid buying anything that might end up in a landfill.
The next challenges are the boldest yet: a March without cell phones and an April without the Internet.
Cantu said he and his classmates have discovered parts of themselves with every sacrifice. As his voluntary cell phone ban continues, Cantu said he's more focused and inclined to spend time with friends rather than just send a text message.
"There's a pride to it too. There's a pride to saying 'no' to things," Cantu said.
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