#atozchallenge C is for... - Say It, "Rah-shay"

…cell phones and communication.

Or Who the Bleep are you calling? In which I rant about people on their cell phones.

A few weeks ago I was at the theater with Mom, Charleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeene and The Bee and someone’s cell phone went off. Like, loud, obnoxious ring tone off. In addition to this person’s phone going off (several times I might add!), during the show there were several people texting, facebooking, tweeting and the like.

Last week as I huffed and puffed through my workout the man two treadmills away from me was having a very loud, very long, very intense conversation on his phone. A lady next to him shot him a dirty look but didn’t say anything. I shot him a look but also didn’t say anything (I am totally going with I could barely breathe and couldn’t waste my breath on his foolishness) however a gym employee was in the area and SHE didn’t say anything either.

At work (both places) people are constantly yapping on their phone, surprised when asked to finish having the conversation about something clearly private outside. Last week I had to ask a lady arguing with her boyfriend to please go outside because we all really didn’t want to hear about what that no good n*gga did this time.

And texting!?! In the few moments it takes me to pull a reserve off of a shelf and check it out students are texting. There was even a ban in Philadelphia against texting while walking. Earlier this week I ran into a girl walking and testing who mumbled a confused “‘scuse me” without her eyes never leaving the screen.

Seriously! What is the deal? What is it in our society that we (I include and call myself out) feel the need to be constantly connected? As a social media type I am known to be hunched over my phone tweeting, Touting, vining and Facebooking the event that I am attending and I can totally see the irony of me blogging about people being on social media (heh!) but I mean it. Do we not know how to spend time with ourselves?

To put my money where my mouth is I have been forcing myself to put away the phone, tablet, etc and just be. It’s hard not to check for e-mail, tweets, texts but it’s doable. I chatted with a lady about her Vera while on line yesterday and she gave me an awesome tip about dinner. I talked to a lady playing a Judge Judy slot and she gave me (way more) information (than I wanted to know) about how to make a bet and it’s not terrible. I get to be in the moment, see what’s happening and the texts and tweets and emails are still there.

I share all of this with you because screen free week is coming up (April 28 through May 4) and I am challenging myself to be screen free. I can’t say that I’ll give everything up but maybe more time away from the phone, tablet, telly, computer and more time just being.

Stay tuned. Sorta
-r