Yesterday I was at the hospital to visit a friend who had been involved in a hit-and-run. Someone hit him while he was riding his bicycle and just took off. How 'me' is that? Anyway, as I approached the hospital I saw this young woman on her bicycle, at the head of the cars in the lane, steering her bike with one hand while she texted with the other! She was barely watching where she was going, let alone aware of the road and the vehicles! Well, I just thought it was one incident of a person so unaware of anyone else that her texting was more important than her safety. After all, it's all about 'her', so no one would dare think of hitting her while she rode her bike.
I went on to the hospital.
There are signs everywhere in the hospitals saying 'please shut off your cell phones while in the hospital', or some similar wording. The concern is interference with medical equipment. I walked down a long hallway from the old wing to the new wing and into the reception area and cafeteria. While looking around the cafeteria and waiting area I must have seen a couple of dozen people chatting on their cell phones, in complete disregard of the signs, and perhaps of the health of patients in the hospital. Cell phones have just become extensions of people's arms and somehow they feel they just can't live without constant contact with someone else. Perhaps to verify their existence and importance? After all, isn't it all about 'them'?
Anyway, on the way home I stopped at a red light only to see two people walking their dog, crossing against the light and making the on-coming cars stop during their green light. I guess nothing was going to interfere with their ultra-important mission of good health for themselves and their dog. Except perhaps a collision with a vehicle, but who wouldn't stop for them? After all, it's all about them, isn't it?
I think I'm just getting to be a grumpy old man. I'm getting to feel more and more that I can't go out in public. The complete lack of courtesy and the rudeness and selfishness of so many people (certainly not all, but enough) just strikes me as so disgusting that sometimes it's all I can do to hold back from telling these people just what I think. It wouldn't matter, though, because when a person thinks that it's all about them there isn't room in their confined little world view to acknowledge that someone else might have some rights or that common courtesy could make things better. After all, who cares? It's all about them anyway!
4 comments:
It's so hard for us humans to think about things going on outside of our own personal worlds. It does seem like all this technology promotes an even more 'immersive' experience of our own minds, if that's possible.
I think you may be on to something,Joel. Look at all the people who are 'plugged in' while wandering the shopping districts. Everyone has earbuds in, separating themselves from others. The acceptable social 'wall'.
Again, thanks for reading. I really appreciate your comments.
Hey great curmudgion graphic!(if that is how that is spelled) I agree with Joel about the "social networking" technology just insulating individuals in their world of choice.
It's not a graphic, it's a photo-illustration of myself. You know that's what I really look like!
:)
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