The other day I was waiting in line at the post office. Later I sat in the dentist’s office waiting room. After that, I went to lunch with my mom. What I observed in all three situations gave me pause for thought.
You see, everywhere I went that day—even as I was driving along city streets—I noticed people walking or standing slightly slumped peering down into their cell phones rather than engaging with the people amidst them or even acknowledging their environments. They were texting or reading email messages or visiting their facebook pages rather than facing their current reality—or living in the moment.
This got me to thinking about a couple of things. If a crime were to take place at that moment, these would be horrible witnesses. “Uh, I didn’t see a thing…there was a robbery and the robber walked right past me? Nope, I didn’t even notice that.” Of course, there’d be others taking out their phones and snapping pictures of the event and then putting them on YouTube.
Another thought I had was how sad it is that we’re not interacting with others. For me, waiting or strolling, for example, are opportunities—opportunities to relax and reflect, but also opportunities to connect, learn something, share something.
What happens when you notice, acknowledge, reach out to someone? I’ve sold books to strangers—many times. I sometimes get ideas for stories or characters. I’ve learned things from a wide variety of people I meet and I’ve had the pleasure of helping by sharing knowledge or information. And if you don’t think that a warm “thank you” can brighten your day, you’re spending way too much time looking at the screen of your cell phone.
I walk most days. I like walking in a lovely area we call The Meadows. I’ve even seen people out in this amazing near-wilderness area texting as their dog exuberantly explore along the trails. What a shame that only their dog is aware of the carpet of yellow mustard flowers, the bluebird building a nest, the bunny hopping across the trail, the ducks floating on the pond…
The next time you step outside your house whether for a walk, to dine with a friend, or to run an errand, spend more of that time in the moment. Keep your cell phone in your pocket. Connect with real people in real time in person. You might just walk away with a lovely gift—a compliment, a new book recommendation, a coupon for those cookies you love, a warm thought after a moment of reminiscing with someone your age, or simply a smile.
Klepto Cat Mysteries
Have you been one of the hundreds who have already ordered your Kindle copy of Mansion of Meows? This one seems to be a 5-star wonder. Those who’ve read it are begging for more. Heck, I don’t know how I could write any faster—I brought out 6 Klepto Cat Mysteries in 2014. Mansion of Meows is number 9 in this series. Yup, I’m working diligently and happily on book 10, despite my chiropractor’s insistence that I get away from the computer more often. Guess I’d better take my own advice and go out and mingle more. Order all Klepto Cat Mysteries here: http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2. All 9 of the books are formatted for Kindle at $2.99. The first five are also in print.