The Split Second-Look Up from the Phone.

I hope I can sell my book to the world; one I call, The Split Second:  In Consideration of Others or Look Up from the Phone and How to Deal with Rudeness in Others. Let me write first that I am not a sports fan whatsoever much less a basketball fan, but I come from a family that lives, eats, and breathes sports so I offer my condolences to all who loved basketball for Kobe Bryant. Now there was a talented man.

I was in another IHOP in Pasadena, California yesterday right before Kobe’s tragic peril.  Ordinarily, I will look at my cell phone from time to time, but I am alone when I am there usually. I must comment that there are two servers there that mean the world to me so if I am reading or looking at the phone, I put any materials down to speak with them if the occasion arises and they are not too busy to chat. However, this particular morning, I glanced over to notice a man and a woman seated two booths over.  Throughout their whole time seated in that booth, they had their phones out and were texted or doing other business that involved their fingers dancing over the phone screen. I have no idea what their relationship was whether they are a couple or good friends or just what.  But I found it SO sad that there was almost no conversation between them. Now I am the first one to realize that they have every right to do whatever they want, and I give them that.  In all fairness, I remember before we had cell phones when I would see “couples” reading in a restaurant.—both parties—and not conversing. Again, they can do whatever they want in a restaurant. But this is one reason that I put in “Look Up from the Phone” in the title of my book.  I find it sad to see anyone of any age, either gender, or any other walk of life to be seated in a restaurant with someone else or a group and feel he/she has to have the phone out and do business on it rather than conversing or interacting some way with the other(s) he/she may be dining with on that occasion. The wonderful actress, Jennifer Aniston once said (and I paraphrase), ‘If we made “Friends’ today, they would all be at a Starbuck’s on their phones and not paying attention to each other.”  A great point that says it all but sad, I think.