hands on......hearts open.....voices heard

Breakfast --- two adults sitting there side by side. Phones in hand. An occasional laugh or word. But not looking at each other. ACTING LIKE TEENAGERS ----- damn.

An elderly on looker says - are you two "talking" to each other? Much laughter at that comment,  then an answer "no - I'm teaching him to use facebook."

But it brought a thought slamming into the front of my brain. The next generation will not really know how to communicate. Oh they will get their points across. Impersonal - read on a screen - with no way to hear the inflections. No body language to read. None of those indicators that we need to get a better interpretation.

Electronic media also can/will/has replaced that MASK we can hide behind. Giving us all kinds of excuses. Something to fall back on instead of clearing the air or really dealing with someone face-to-face.

Now I have a smart phone --- LOVE IT. Use the fool out of it. Have been guilty of the very thing I am speaking of. But in recent months, I've  taken to leaving it in the car when we go to eat. Just that bit of separation from it was HARD. But I've grown to like it. I've grown to enjoy the freedom from it. I can look my tablemate in the eyes. I can really listen to a conversation. I can participate in the moment. AND THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING.

So Sunday afternoon found us without phones --- completely. Sitting at the table. We played rummy - two hours worth - with real cards - note: I haven't forgotten how to shuffle. There was laughter - teasing - thinking - strategic planning - even a few complains about cheating or marking cards (lighthearted) there was adding (and some subtracting) by hand with a pen and a slip of paper. AND MISS T --- SHE HAD A ROARING SUCCESSFUL COME FROM BEHIND WIN IN WHICH THERE WERE ALMOST ALL THE FACE CARDS AND THE ACES. (competitive much - why yes I am)

Then there was ice cream --- hand dipped on a waffle cone - I had Butter Pecan (as if that detail mattered).

The best part of the afternoon - we ALL relaxed and talked and really got to listen and see and love and grow and smile and think and --- and ---- and.

I used to think that family fun days were kind of a stupid idea. But as I get older - and as technology becomes so much more prevalent in our every single day activity - I think there needs to be a whole lot more of the UNPLUGGED kind of fun activity.

Besides - the dang computer doesn't tease me about cheating when I win.

I'm ready when you are --- we'll sit a spell - visit and maybe play some cards.