Monday, July 6, 2015

CIRCLE OF LIFE RERUN


Don't have anything for today so I am posting a rerun from back in the day when I only had 2 followers. I find it still relevant. 

OK, now I know I am getting too old for this world. A younger person could have witnessed what I saw yesterday and not even blinked. I, in my ancient body and old fashioned mind, was just stunned.

It was a windows and doors open, beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was comfortably warm, and winter was history. Spring thoughts filled my mind with visions of planting, gardening and even lawn mowing. I know it is early but you can't help those thoughts on such a day.

All morning I had heard the roar of motorcycles and watched happy bikers enjoying the chance to get out. Here, you don't need to look at the weather gauge or even out the window to know what type of day awaits you. Just listen for the rumble of a Harley or the purr of a Honda Gold Wing to know the weather is great. This type of day gives me pangs about selling my little Honda Rebel.

I had spent most of the morning scabbing around outside doing various chores and mentally planting flower beds and veggies. It felt so good to be out without layers of clothing and feeling the warm sun on my skin. Love that Vitamin D.

Close to noon I heard the unmistakable clip clop of a horses hooves on the road in front of my house. Should have gone for the camera (damn, damn, damn) but instead just went to the corner of the house expecting to see someone enjoying this marvelous day on horseback.What I witnessed blew my mind.

There was a teenage girl riding a fine looking sorrel horse on this gorgeous day. That should have been a beautiful picture but instead, oblivious of her surroundings, the girl was with head down busily texting on her cell phone. She kept up the texting the whole time she was in my sight. The horse sought his own path as the reins hung loose on his neck. Cheese Louise !!! If I had her number I would have sent her the following text. "JUST HANG UP AND RIDE."

Today I see people at sporting events glued to their smart phones. Kids at concerts looking at phones held high in the air recording what they should be seeing in person but aren't. The small screen rules. Adult couples eating out, both busy with their phones. I can only hope they are at least texting each other. No it is not just the kids.

I guess most older generations think the younger generations do not have the sense God gave a billy goat. I'm pretty sure the seniors in my youth, sadly shook their heads as I roared down the road with loud Rock and Roll blaring from the open Chevy windows (no air conditioning) and strutting around town in short shorts.

I am curious what these kids today will have to put up with from the younger generation when they themselves are crotchety old seniors.

Ah, the circle of life.

26 comments :

  1. I still remember the first time I passed a person in the grocery store whom I thought was talking to herself, and that was my introduction to the bluetooth ear piece for cell phones. I thought she looked & sounded so silly, walking up and down the aisle, talking to herself.. Now, it's common to walk by people in the store who are talking on their phones.
    One thing I will never understand is why people want to talk on their phones while using a public bathroom. Now that's just nuts. :)

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  2. This post is probably even more relevant since the first time you posted it, Patti, and the epidemic is still spreading.

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  3. So very true! I don't understand the selfie craze either.

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  4. I know I was probably the last person in the world to get myself a smart phone. But it has not yet attached itself to my body. And it is amazing at how family and friends get SO annoyed if they have to leave me a message and wait for me to get back to them.

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  5. I find it interesting that I just read another post with the title "Circle of Life" about newly hatched turtles making their way into the surf. And then this one, which makes me think you've been messing with my head. And I agree that it's crazy that people are living their lives vicariously instead of in person because of their devices. On the bus there are mornings when the dozen or more people on there with me on their phones instead of looking around. Some of these people are homeless, but they still have cellphones and carry on with some distraction or other. Crazy world. Thanks for the repost, it's very relevant. :-)

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  6. Yes, it is still relevant and as someone said, Probably more so, today. I don't
    know why I even pay for the privilege of using my phone ....when I really never use it.
    It's in the drawer most of the time and I use my old land line. I get much better
    sound reception on that and I put it on speaker and I can walk around when I'm
    talking. Haha It IS handy for taking photos with the iPhone (not selfies) LOL

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  7. It always surprises me to see people looking at their phones instead of the world around them. I don't understand that behavior, but it makes me glad that I came of age when people still looked around and didn't feel the need to talk/text all the time. It's not just silly behavior, it's actually pretty dangerous.

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  8. It is amazing how these phones are like an extension to one's hand or ear.....That's all I see, and I cannot even go out in the world!!!
    It seems to me, it is almost like an addiction----well, no----It IS an addiction! I was speaking to someone on their Landline the other day, and twice, she used her Cell phone while talking to me to look up some things we were talking about. I didn't ask her to look them up---she just did, on her own.....! I must say it was helpful info, but nothing I couldn't have found out myself, later.....

    This re-run is as relevant today as it was when you wrote it, my dear Patti, maybe even more so.....

    I hope you are feeling much much better than you were, my dear.....!

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  9. It's amazing how many people I see hiking the trails either talking or texting on their smart phones. My husband and I, soon married 49 years, still like to have a conversation with each other when we go to dinner. Heck, we even talk to each other when we're eating at home. From what I observe, that's very old-fashioned! We have a rule for the grandkids too. No gadgets at the table and no TV until after dinner. When they visit, we like them to actually VISIT! I can't even imagine the future!

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  10. PS hope you're on the mend and feeling more yourself.

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  11. I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!! From one of my old posts: I used to be able to go to a restaurant with my family & wonder aloud what time it is in Iceland or who played the villain in an old movie. That, at least, gave you something to talk about for a while even if you didn’t really care about the answer. No more. Now, if I should happen to muse about Iceland’s time zone, someone will whip out a phone, click a couple of buttons & tell me, “It’s 7:30pm PST here in California & Iceland is 8 hours ahead of us, so it’s 3:30am UTC/GMT tomorrow there.” That’s already more than I really wanted to know. Then they will continue, “GMT is Greenwich Mean Time. UTC is Coordinated Universal Time or in French: Temps Universel Coordonne. UTC was decided as the acronym because it was thought CUT or TUC were not appropriate. GMT & UTC are the same.” I’m surprised they didn’t tell me how to make a watch. I’ll have to ask them about that, sometime………….

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  12. I am not usually one of those old geezers who thinks that the younger generations "do not have the sense God gave a billy goat." But sometimes (as in this case) my faith is challenged.

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  13. I told myself I wouldn't drone on to my son about how tough things were in the olden days, but just the other day ai was telling him how we had to wait for things to heat up because there were no microwave ovens.

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  14. Terri,
    Ha ha, I was once fooled in the restroom. I thought the lady in the next stall was talking to me and I kept answering till I caught on. Red face.

    Marty,
    It is epidemic. Someday there will be 12 step programs for smart phone addicts.

    Marilyn,
    Me too on those. I just keep shaking my head.

    Olga,
    I still haven't joined the herd. No cell service here. I know about the lack of patience. People expect instant answers to their instant questions.

    Djan,
    Baby turtles have a hard early life. I once belonged to a turtle safari in Florida sponsored by Game and Fish. The babies that hatch at night go towards light which they assume is the moon. Well lit condos confuse them and they go the wrong way. With out aid from volunteers, they would just pile up at the concrete walls, easy meal for predators. It was a fun and rewarding job rescuing them.

    Manzi,
    I don't have cell service here so it is pretty much out for me but I would like the handiness of having a decent camera so handy.

    robin,
    You are right. People are always walking into things while looking down. I think seeing them doing that on the beach or in nature is grounds for arrest.

    Naomi,
    Ha, they do like to use them and are quick to let you know they have all that info at their fingertips. Like you, I could look it up myself on my computer if I thought it was important. I'm not sold either.

    Barb,
    Kudos for your banning them at the dinner table. Conversation is becoming a lost art. Maybe it will someday be taught a college course. And thank you, I am getting there.

    Fran,
    That gave me the giggles for while is just too funny, it is sadly too true. They do like to show off their toys don't they?

    Tom,
    Sometimes it is hard to just smile and think all will be well when you see something so sad.
    I wish I could live long enough to see what these folks will be facing in the younger generation in about 40 years.

    Stephen,
    It is hard to realize that there are people who have never been with out microwaves and remotes.

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  15. Too many of these kids cannot carry on a conversation because all they are always on their phones, texting, etc. They need to talk to each other sometimes.

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  16. Very relevant topic. I have a cellphone but half the time I forget to check it more than once every few days, and yet many of my peers at work have them their desks buzzing and beeping at them continuously.

    What gets me are the ones who walk and text...an accident waiting to happen. Thankfully for rider girl, the horse had sense enough to find his/her way. Now if it had been spooked for some reason, I suspect she and her phone would have suffered some serious damage.

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  17. Sigh... I've seen this at our dinner table and that's when I start to really focus my attention on that person, working doubly hard to engage him. Sometimes it works. I think it's a way to hide so they don't have to work hard to hold a conversation. This is not good.

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  18. It is a standing rule at my place that cell phones are not to be out during meals. We can go on about the kids being obsessed with their phones, but I see a lot of adults with the same bent. Lead by example oldsters!

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  19. I have never liked phones, for years I told people to email me. I have a cell phone but it lives in the bottom of my purse, we use it when we travel and that's about it.
    My husband says cell phones are the new cigarette, it gives people something to do with their hands.
    Yes we were young and dumb, but we were connected to the world around us, not a screen in our hand.

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  20. It's a sad fact of life, isn't it? It really bothers me to see a line of young boys and girls sitting at an athletic event and none of them have their eyes anywhere except on their phones. Their lives are passing them by while they are texting.

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  21. It is really sad to see all the heads down looking at a smart phone and letting the world go by. I wonder if many of them notice how beautiful nature is anymore? Hubby keeps telling me I should upgrade to a smartphone, but I'm reluctant to do it. Not because I'd be looking at it all the time, but they don't seem to fit in pockets like the smaller fliptop phones do and that is important to me. Enjoyed your post, Patti. Take care!

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  22. Texting on a horse? Now I've heard it all.

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  23. Hi Patti,
    Glad to see you are well enough to worry about posting.
    My iPhone is both a blessing (keeping tabs on my kids and for taking photos) and an annoyance, as everyone expects me to be online all the time.
    I use it when I want - the rest of the time I ignore it.
    What annoys me most though, is people preferring to look at screens instead of talking (to me). They all do it! I took a holiday with a friend who rushed back to the hotel every afternoon because she wanted to play an online game...When she wanted to play this during dinner as well, I put my foot down.
    When someone answers their phone or uses whatsapp or whatever whilst they are talking to me, I simply walk away. It's rude!
    But the youngsters don't agree. They are used to this. Oh well. Poor horse...

    Best wishes from The Wetlands,
    Renée

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  24. Each generation to their own I guess. I wonder about it all though....

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  25. Meryl,
    I couldn't agree with you more. My Mom use to say TV would be the end of family conversation. She would be horrified today.

    Eileen,
    You are so right. A truck flying by honking its horn could have spelled disaster.

    Kay,
    I know I am old school but what is so hard about a real conversation? Sure wish more people tried it now and then. Keep bugging them Kay.

    Brighid,
    I love the new commercials that invite people to shut down their phones at dinner and get to know one another. Glad you have that rule.

    Mac n'Janet,
    Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. Your hubby may be on to something. Less people are smoking these days and texting more. When I quit smoking years ago, I do remember wondering what to do with my hands.

    NCMountainwoman,
    That drives me nuts too. Often they are sitting in the really expensive seats. Wonder why they don't just stay home and let life slide by.

    Cheryl,
    You have a great point. They are huge aren't they? Mine is so old it is the size of a deck of cards. I'm way behind the times.

    patti,
    That really got me. I use to love to horseback ride. What a waste that child was.

    Renee,
    I would do like you and just walk away. Sadly, they probably wouldn't even notice. Glad you made your friend look up from her screen. I do believe it is an addiction.

    TB
    I just wish I could live long enough to see what this generation will grumble about in 40 years.

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  26. I wonder how safe it is to let a nhorse just go with no guidance?
    I love to use phones but not when others are around. It gets put away toute de suite!
    They are great tools to keep folks occupied on planes.
    Theybare also a danger. Many pedesrians are walking into unsafe situations like traffic.

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