I was sitting in the car with someone - as we were making a casual jaunt to the store to pick up some yum-yums and having a rather pleasant conversation when - just then - with no warning - a little device no bigger than a pack of playing cards lights up - starts shaking about and screams out a mangled rendition of a familiar song. Conversation over. It wasn't that our conversation about the new study showing that 'artificial sweeteners may indeed make you fat' was all that important (despite my pension for consuming ridiculous amounts of the stuff) but it triggered my animosity for those stupid little electronic devices. I mean - for some reason - as I was sitting there communing with someone - the importance of someone hundreds of miles away trumped my immediate presence in a most obnoxious way. So what do I do? I of course take the back-burner. I sit there while my traveling companion giddily conversed with someone else; and I'm relegated to whatever happens to be whizzing past the window. I'll be fine. *snif*

It's the cell-phones, they are the things to blame. And yes, I know, 'chief of sinners though I be' I carry one too - but I vaguely remember the way things used to be - even just a few years ago. If you wanted to talk to someone and they weren't within an earshot of a telephone - you would need to get up and seek them out, or write a letter. While the ability to wirelessly communicate with others with our own voice is important - it's wreaking damage on our relationships to those who aren't behind a phone. Whether we interrupt a conversation with someone in our presence or missing a stop-sign while we're driving on the phone, mobile phones are a powerful force not to be take lightly.

So - is it the phone really to blame? Shiny - loud and light-uppy? I'm thinking no. It's the way that we handle them - and in this way, cell phones and guns aren't dissimilar. Properly used - they practical tools, and in some cases life saving, but misused - they cause casualties. Hence my proposal - 

1. If you're with someone engaged in conversation or sharing an experience (i.e. watching a movie or 'hanging out')  - don't answer the phone. This introduces another product of technology - voicemail. (If you're expecting an important call - ask the person you're with for permission to answer the device. They'll probably say yes - but they might be reluctant.)
2. For the love of all that is holy - don't use the cell phone in the car. For those in the car with you, liken it to passing gas - it's unpleasant for everyone in the car including the driver and could just get everyone killed. For those on the road with you - talking on the phone is like driving while intoxicated - and there are studies proving this.
3. If you are at a public or group venue or event which you pay for or are invited to, turn the stupid thing off (or at least silence it.) This includes movie theaters, church, parties, concerts and other gatherings. Use that time to partake in the event and share the experience with those around you.
4. Acknowledge that 'texting' is just as obnoxious and pernicious as talking when done in the presence of other people. Everyone hears the clicks and it's it requires more attention and effort than an actual vocal conversation.
5. Don't wear your mobile phone on your belt. You look ridiculous and you're pocket is 3 inches away - and that's what it's made for. (Thanks Dr. Cox)
6. Every once in a while, turn the thing off. Leave it at home and go spend time with a real person. There's no substitute for actually spending time with someone you care about, and occasionally it's nice if that experience isn't screwed up.
7. If you - during the course of employment - expected to answer the phone, do it. It's your job man.

It's not all-encompassing, but it's a start. I guess I'm really just trying to get people to realize the importance of the those around them. Communication on any level is important, but there's nothing like quality face time.