Saturday, June 20, 2009

oh, I love you, I really do. . .

I’m officially in love with this phone. It makes my heart go pitty-pat.

I’ve been cellphone free for the bulk of my existence. Yet that will change once I relocate back to Toronto and will say goodbye to my ipod for an iphone. Prior to this, I’ve only owned a cell phone for 3 months while I was living in Israel, and I only ever used it to know what time it was. Generally, I detest cellphones, but I detest with all my heart (really, I do) cellphone users.

Very few people have what I would call “cellphone etiquette.” Like turning it off during dinner or the movies, or ignoring an incoming call in order to continue the conversation you’re already having. The most nauseating aspect of cellphone behaviour is this constant mantra that cellphones (by their very nature and presence) assist us in averting "emergencies." What emergency? That the tide will come in while living 1000s of kilometers away from the ocean?

Another annoying aspect is the belief that cellphones equal productivity. Michelangelo was productive; most cellphone users are not. My own sister had to be told (because apparently it wasn’t self-evident) not to bring her blackberry to our Nonno’s funeral service in the Fall. Can you imagine?

Furthermore, why is it that cellphone users (not all, but too many) lose all ability to make basic decisions – like what they should buy at the grocery store? How has grocery shopping become so excruciatingly difficult? You either want bananas or you don't. And why do they feel they have the right (or entitlement) to remain on the phone while faced with another human being who is assisting them with their purchase (i.e. the clerk). It's unconscionable.

My main problem with cellphone users is this unconscious belief that the present moment isn’t good or satisfying enough, that something better must be around the corner. And if you just took the next call, it might be Jesus sharing much needed lessons on self-reflexivity (or lessons on punctuation in my case). I would imagine His first counsel would be to turn it off.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Well said!.....you've said what I've been wanting to say ...out loud....

good for you.