The Freedom Exchange Online

I have never liked phones of any kind. It was bad enough in the ‘old days’ when the phone only rang in your living room. I hated that I had no idea who was on the other end but the incessant ringing made me feel obligated to answer.  The annoyance was balanced somewhat by the ability to stay in touch with friends and family.

Then came call waiting. I hate that ‘feature’ almost as much as I do cell phones. Whenever I hear the phrase “just a minute, I’ve got someone else calling in” I hang up.  I consider it rude to turn your back on someone and worse when you aren’t even face-to-face. But there is nothing as rude as a person with a cell phone.

Restaurants and movies are prime examples of places where cell phones should not be allowed. And what is so important you have to talk about it standing in line at a grocery store? If you must talk start a conversation with the person in front or behind you. At the very least they are real live people, not disembodied voices on the phone. Which brings me to what I hate the most about cell phones – they legitimize ignoring other people.

In my little corner of the world we smile and nod at each other walking down the street, sometimes even stopping to talk. But more and more I see ‘cell phone’ people, oblivious to those around them, seemingly talking to thin air. We used to call them ‘crazy’, now they are ‘connected’.  I wonder how much difference there really is.