Texting takeover

It looks as though the sun is fading on the human side of interaction. Talking is out, apparently determined to be overrated as a preferred means of communication nowadays. Texting, which I admit to thinking would never catch on, has taken over. I lately find myself texting people to see if they have time for a phone call. “Should I call now?” “Do you want to initiate the call or should I?” “Do you have my number?” “Oh, right. I texted you, so....” How did I ever get drawn into all this?

One might think that holiday gatherings would be an exception to the texting rule. The holidays present us with that rare occasion when family and friends sit around and talk, reminisce and exchange stories of Christmases past. But however uninvited it might have been, the texting entity has found its way into our family gatherings. Some of my younger (teenage) cousins have sat side-by-side in a room full of relatives and spent their entire evening texting between each other. Not whispering; not actually talking at all. No words were spoken by either of them (which in itself was sort of pleasant, truth be known). After watching this non-stop texting all evening, I can state with some certainty that no family stories will have penetrated the psyche of either one of them that night.

I recently took a cruise which offered a wonderful respite from our world of texting, and emailing, and the internet. At dinner each evening during the week-long cruise, we sat with the same three couples. Not a single phone was ever brought out at the dinner table. We all talked a great deal and asked about each other’s lives. We discussed families, occupations, challenges that had been faced, successes and memorable experiences. After spending a week with this group of people for two hours each evening, I had made some wonderful new friends and I learned quite a bit about each of them. So maybe there is at least some benefit still to be had from talking.

On that very same cruise, however, cell phones took on another key role for some of my fellow cruisers. It was not so much its use as a camera really, but more that the cell phones were ever-present as selfie-shooters. It didn’t matter if we were on a beautiful beach, or watching a lovely sunset, or spending time walking around on the ship deck. There was always someone in the vicinity posing for just the right selfie. I suppose it is important to them that they snap an official documentation that proves they were there.

While walking the deck for exercise one morning, I circled past a woman eight times as she stood alone with her arm hoisted as if she were pointing in the direction of the sundae bar on the lido deck. She was working the angle of her camera, adjusting the tilt of her head this way and that, positioning to get just the right shot. Over and over along the walking path, I had to step carefully so as not to trip into her or accidentally photo-bomb as she perfected her selfie-stance to have this other cruise ship placed in the background of the lens. In the time it took her to capture her ultimate selfie, I had walked two miles. But I can’t prove that, because I didn’t take a selfie as I did it. You’ll just have to take my word.

Johnny McNally is Grimes County’s Best Dressed Businessman advocating for Grimes County.