Is the Cell Phone TOTALLY Necessary

The Split Second-In Consideration of Others in These Trying Times

I am going to go back and question some relatively new practices in society as I try to get the word out for my unpublished book, The Split Second:  In Consideration of Others or Look Up from the Phone and How to Deal with Rudeness in Others. In this blog, I would like to discuss the “almighty” cell phone: the first of several offerings here.

I have a cell phone. I have had this phone number for 18 years, and that does not seem possible. I am in that group of folks who would state, “We did just fine without cell phones.” They are handy in a true emergency such as when there is car trouble, and the old car just will not go anywhere. However, I think many of us have taken it too far. People can be exceedingly rude with a phone. I will confess, I still think of the time I sat in a movie theatre and my cell phone rang quite loudly. I was embarrassed and yes, I still remember the movie I was viewing at the time.

As I write about movie theatres (and thank goodness, many folks are returning to movie theatres after the pandemic), I have to wonder when many of us (let me keep this to my gender: the male sex) “run” to the restroom to “take care of business,” I can view on either side of me, fellow gentleman relieving themselves and texting or “checking the phone” at the same time. Are we so desperate to use that phone that we cannot wait to take care of nature? I will give such men a compliment here although I do not compliment their restroom behavior; they most likely did not check their phone during the movie showing if they must check it immediately after the showing. Or did they?

 The blogs are getting shorter. I am proud of myself.