“In the terrible debris of progress…”
Mary Oliver
There are two sides to a coin, an argument, and the highway. Two sides to progress too, and perhaps our lives have become one sided.
Halfway to town, I noticed I’d forgotten my cell phone. Oh well, I managed to navigate very well for all those years before they were invented, and since I don’t carry it on me and it seldom asks for my attention, I’d probably have to hunt if I went back for it. Cell phones only work in certain spots in our house, and some days not at all. Bruce and I both lose our phones from time to time, because of leaving them in the shop, pickup or purse. Calling them won’t work because they probably aren’t turned on, or have run out of battery. The land line is out half the time because the carrier won’t repair old equipment; not cost effective, too few families on the line. So much for progress.
The other side of that coin is sad. A woman who runs an eating establishment complains that work isn’t fun anymore. Too quiet. She used to enjoy the chatter of customers, bursts of laughter, and watching table hoppers. Now, everyone is on a cell phone and nobody talks to dinner partners.
Teachers have long complained about students using cell phones in class, despite rules against that. Signs at checkouts ask customers not to use cell phones during transactions, which seems to work about as well as the student prohibitions. I recently read a guideline that recommends only an hour a day of screen time for babies up to a year. How about none?
Tots use mama’s cell phone before they can even talk, and I wonder if there are a lot of late talkers. One of my toddlers was a late talker, but it was because he had two older siblings who would get him what he pointed at, so why bother? At least there was human interaction.
I like my cell phone. I can call Bruce and let him know I’m at the store, and does he need me to bring anything. I get pictures of my grandkids on their horses, and the three great grands that were born this summer. I text the college kids now and then. I realize that kids don’t answer calls anymore, but it is nice to hear their voices when they sometimes call. I skip Instagram, Snap Chat, etc. Texts and calls are progress enough, I have a life to live and things to do.
If I miss the invitation because it was only on Facebook, they probably won’t notice my absence. And I’ll probably be busy anyway, talking to someone face to face, on the street, or in the store. If Bruce is late for dinner because he met a neighbor and stopped to visit, it’s fine. I’m tickled that people still want to talk.
Progress has been slow in reaching us out here. Internet is undependable; no chance for fiber-optic because of sparce population base. Roads aren’t user friendly in bad weather, or any time, for that matter. All of which means we get outdoors often to interact with Nature. Try that, even if you live in town and enjoy the progress. The world is wider than your cell phone screen.
Meet me here next week and, meanwhile, do your best. Someone might like it.