3 Inches Up!

That's where the world is happening, folks, 3 inches up.  Look up from your damn phone, iPad, laptop, what the hell ever!  The world and the people around you are 3 inches up.

We, as adults, keep blaming the kids, but it's not just them.  It's us.  I'm just shocked and disgusted.  This weekend has been an awful eye opener, and it just keeps getting worse.  I watched an adult friend sit on the porch with me, and Facebook.  This is one of my dearest dearest friends who I see once every year or two.  Here we are, having coffee on my front porch, and he's Facebooking.  At one point we were sitting there, I had no phone and no laptop.  When I commented that it was strange to sit on my porch with no electronics, he offered to get his iPad for me.  Really?  How about a conversation?  Maybe one that doesn't involve videos, or pictures on a phone or reading me what some person I don't know said to you on Facebook?  I watched him interact with my son, and that's how they communicated, showing each other videos, pictures, interwebs.  What the hell is going on?  We can't just sit and talk?  We can't rehash old memories or bring each other up to date?  Is the sole interaction in my life going to be what you put on Facebook?  You can't tell me something?  A story?  Catch me up on our mutual friends?  Remember, like we used to? AND YES, I'm calling you out on my blog!  I'm not telling you to your face because apparently if it's not electronic, it's not worth knowing, hearing, learning, whatever!

Why is it more important to let the 500 people you're "friends" with, most of whom you don't even really know or socialize with in real life, it's more important to tell them that you're at Six Penn eating the best Pork Loin EVER, instead of the person sitting across the table from you, who may or may not be buying you that pork loin?  Or after a show, you've got to post your review on Facebook instead of discussing it with the person who sat next to you through the whole damn thing?  What the hell?  Here's my take, I just dropped a ton of money on this evening, and you're more worried about telling some person you haven't seen in 17 years that cocktails at Meat & Potatoes are amazing?  WTF, seriously?  I just dropped a bill and you don't want to fuss over me?  F that!  AND BTW, I'm pointing out all the abbreviations I'm using!  See next paragraph.

No wonder this country is filled with ADD.  No one can pay attention to a damn thing for more than 2 seconds.  Or even read a whole damn word!  (If you've gotten this far into this blog, congratufricklations!) Hell, apparently that's what Snapchat is.  Not only is it just a picture with a caption, I only get how many seconds to look at it and then it's gone?  Why? WTF?  WTF?  Why?  Why?  Why can I only see it once?  Why is there a time limit?  Why is there no time to enjoy, think, reflect?  WTH?  I'm not supposed to think?  I'm not supposed to reflect?  I'm not supposed to revisit?  Holy hell.  Every thing is short term and disposal, even thoughts.  This is just stupid.

An now I'm sitting here, our friend is moving, we won't see him much at all.  3 times this evening I've been interrupted in conversation for someone to show someone something on their phone.  What the hell?  And it's not just me, they've been interrupting each other.  And the worst part is that once they interrupt to show this most important damn phone picture or video, I'm the only one who seems to remember that someone hasn't finished what they were telling me about and now I'm never ever going to hear how the story ends.

Here's what I'm saying, this is bullshit.  Put your goddamned phones down.  Don't rely on the goddamned interwebs to provide conversation and stories for yourself.  You're a person, you have a life, things happen every day!  Seriously, I don't give a shit about pets and babies, but I'd much rather hear what your cat did than damned grumpy cat!  Believe it or not, your cat is more interesting to me and I don't find cats all that interesting, and I HAVE one!

Put the damn phone down for Christ's sake!  Connect with your people, believe it or not, they want to connect with you.  And hell, if they don't, I do.  I want to connect.  I want to hear about you.  And this is coming from someone who doesn't always get social cues!  I FINALLY get that I have to listen more and learn what the hell you people are about and right when I do, you all are addicted to your damn phones!  How am I ever supposed to learn?  I'm trying.  I'm really trying.  If you would all only look up 3 inches, I'd have a better shot.  I might get to be a part of all of you instead of always feeling I'm on the outside looking in.  No wonder all these kids are being diagnosed with some form of autism or another, how can you learn to connect with people when all the people are only connected to electronics?