Last weekend I went to my local park to sit on some grass, read a book and waste away a few hours on a Sunday. I've actually started doing things like this quite a bit on the weekends. Whether it be sitting on a bench in the Marina, driving up to the mountains and having lunch or just driving, I've felt the pull to spend maybe half a day each week just doing, well, nothing. I never bring my phone on these mini-trips and usually the only thing on hand is my ipod. It's been unbelievably cathartic. While laying in my local park last weekend, a young couple walked up and sat a few feet from me. They rolled out a blanket, dropped some snacks on the blanket and before sitting, both fired up their cell phones (the man was actually alternating between two phones). I tried to relax for about 15 mins. but I couldn't help but listen in on their conversations. I moved. While I finally managed to find a little peace, I looked over a few times and sure enough, both of them were on their phones. What was the point of this trip?
I hate to sound like some existentially-driven freak, but I've noticed this type of behavior no matter where I am. This isn't a big city thing; this is an everywhere thing. People are always either on their cell phones, in a rush to get to their next destination, or planning their next move via text or e-mail. I'm not one to argue against technology, shit I work in technology, but there's a simplicity that's all but void in most of society. Does something need to be accomplished every single second of every damn day? If I had to pinpoint the most memorable moments of my life, nine out of ten would be unplanned events: something I witnessed, something I felt, something I was moved by. We need more of this. It's all right there for the taking.
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