Richmond - The Editor.
Nothing demarcates some of the essential differences between what I call the "old world" (pre-1980s) and the plugged-in, teched-up one we live in now than the following: seeing a cell-phoneengaged mother fail to notice her three year-old daughter has wandered several aisles away in a crowded store while she engages in a loud, animated conversation about Oprah's hair styles; witnessing a young woman so engrossed in texting that she steps off a curb on a red light and only avoids serious injury or death by the grace of an attentive driver's quick reactions; watching a family of four, each totally absorbed in their separate handheld devices, go through an entire meal without talking to each other; and having a meal at a nice restaurant where all the middle-aged and older patrons are talking with each other, laughing together, and generally celebrating the joys of the occasion, while two separate younger couples spend almost their entire times together bent over their respective Smartphones and paying no attention to each other.
These are not uncommon sights, so add to the list as you will.
All I know is that if such behaviours represent the values and priorities of the "new world," I can only be increasingly content with the fact that I grew up in, and lived a large portion of my adult life, during a time when being "connected" meant something entirely different than it does now.
Ray Arnold
Richmond
