If you were to accuse me of devoting a significant amount of time and effort to those whom I refer to as ‘interns,’ you would be correct since, interestingly enough, both my former story and the current one include the presence of such a person.
Last night I met one of these
‘potential people of excellence’ in the nearby metropolis of Haines City for
the express purpose of offering him the opportunity to sit under my ‘wise
counsel,’ training, direction and/or encouragement. We had previously decided
to meet at a particular BBQ place; (an establishment which I had once
frequented as a reservist on drill weekends).
By now it was dark, and since the
parking lot was rather large I had asked ‘Jack’ to text me when he arrived;
which he summarily did. And as he and I were seated in an expansive booth, I
immediately noticed something which seemed out of place in such an
establishment.
Beep. Beep. Bong. Bong. Brrr. Brrr.
Hiss. Zoom. Bang.
Distinct electronic sounds flooding my
sensibilities
Well, I can tell you the cascade of
‘whatever it was’ was coming from directly behind my left ear, (and as quickly
as the sounds permeated my personage I just as quickly realized I would not be
able to tolerate the auditory insult). You see, I have a condition referred to as
Tinnitus, an incessant ringing in my ears, and the perceived sound of chirping
crickets in my ears is plenty and enough for me without the presence of
additional sound effects.
As you might imagine, I glanced over
my right shoulder and noticed a boy of eight or ten doing the touch screen
thing for all he was worth, and it was obvious he was, as too many young people
are today, absolutely consumed with one of the latest electronic gizmo’s; (in
this case, a video game).
Pt. 2
It might be helpful for my readers to
realize that I have never been accused of being overly subtle, nor non-verbal,
and I can tell you that the foregoing scenario proved to be no exception.
And with this I looked across the
table and said, “Jack, I simply can’t tolerate those beeps, bangs and bongs.
We’re going to have to move to another booth.”
(and)
“I wonder why parents don’t reign
their children in, and prevent them from sharing those intolerable sounds with
their (not so) adoring fans?”
About this time I saw our waitress,
and I was about to summon her when the little family behind me completed what
they’d come there to do, and prepared to depart the premises.
Having stood from the table, the adult
female of the species turned towards me, and exclaimed,
“We’re leaving now.”
(and)
“We’ll let you eat in peace.”
Well, as you might imagine I realized
the baritone inflections with which God has graced me, and my lungs which would
hardly require a microphone in a convention hall, (much less in the confines of
a considerably smaller space) had struck again.
Never one to be caught without an
appropriate retort, the stranger’s sudden disclaimer left me almost speechless.
All I could say was,
“I’m Sorry. I just can’t tolerate that
sort of thing.”
(Or something somewhat similar).
Pt. 3
Perhaps there are a couple of lessons
to be gleaned from my recent experience.
As a counselor I am convinced that
children, (and not just children) of the 21st Century are hopelessly
addicted to electronic devices. Computers. Laptops. Tablets. Smart Phones.
(etc., etc.) Everywhere you go people can be seen staring into these devices
for long periods of time, doing the touch screen thing, and ignoring every semblance
of human interaction around them.
Some teens report spending 8-10 hours
a day playing video games, texting friends, taking and transmitting pictures,
watching movies, and all things similar. What once passed for the milk of human
kindness and camaraderie has metamorphosed into an entirely unrecognizable
thing. It is not unusual to see three or four young people seated in a circle,
totally absorbed with a 4x3 inch screen, and oblivious of fire, flood or funnel
cloud. And sadly enough, the internet is replete with reports of five and six
teens dying in horrendous car crashes, as the result of the driver having been
preoccupied with a text to a family member or friend.
Lesson #1 - Get your self-absorbed
head outta your e-devices, and experience why they called ‘the good ole days’
the good ole days.
Obviously, what goes around comes
around, and ‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.’ I readily admit
my propensity for criticism, and the rather vocal manner in which I practice
it. (My wife refers to me as, “The Master of the Unexpected”). One of my pet
peeves involves my lack of patience with what I regard as ignorance and
stupidity; (among which is the current trend to which I have alluded).
Lesson #2 - Avoid the tendency to be
as outspoken with my renunciation of the things with which I disagree,
tailor-make the words and wisdom which I decide to impart, and decrease my
decibel level so that my opinionations are available only to the one to whom I
am presently speaking.
by William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Pt. 60. Copyright Pending.
If you wish to share, save or copy, please include the credit line, above
by William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from (Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Pt. 60. Copyright Pending.
If you wish to share, save or copy, please include the credit line, above
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