Tyranny of Cell Phones!

What would cause me to burst out laughing in a Boston airport terminal? Would you believe it was a cell phone? Ah, but not just any cell phone. It's the oh-so-sophisticated ear-piece, hands-free version. The first person I laughed at was an Asian man, well-dressed and successful looking. As I waited in the sitting area of our gate, he was standing off by himself, talking away with this huge smile on his face. It didn't take me long to realize that he had an ear-piece to his cell phone, but if you hadn't seen it, the scene would have been even funnier than it already was! He was talking, laughing, and gesticulating as if to some ghost next to him and it totally struck my funny bone.

A very short time later, maybe even overlapping the Asian's conversation, another man entered the same waiting area for the plane bound to LaGuardia. He looked every inch the prosperous New York business man -- 40ish, iron colored hair, nice suit, long wool overcoat, and handsome features. Pretty soon he got his little earpiece warm as he carried on a conversation with an apparently imaginary person. Only he didn't stand still. Back and forth he paced in front of the waiting area, talking away and using his hands expressively. I guess it's only our high-tech culture that kept anybody from really admitting how idiotic he looked.

Most people just hold their phone, and airports and airplanes are full of people with their ever handy cell phones, usually glued to their ear. Some are most probably important conversations, but I'd venture to guess that about 75% of the conversations are merely idle chit-chat instigated because that person has nothing better to do. I saw several people very importantly take out their cell phones, dial, and then say something, "Hey, how's it going? Oh, nothing. We're just waiting to take off. So you're going to be there when I get there, right? Where are you at? Blah, blah, blah." And people are spending money for those words!

It's just amazing how many people have cell phones. I have 9 and 10 year old students who have little pink phones, and they know how to do all sorts of things with them. Last week, on our way to Friendly's, there were five of us in Derrick's car, and at one time, three of those people were on their cell phone. Of course they were pretty legitimate calls (I suppose), but it struck me funny all these people riding along carrying on multiple conversations! Silly me left mine back in my room or I could have whipped it out, too!

Ah, well, cell phones were a great invention and I'm thankful I have one. My state is working hard to ban using hand-held cell phones while driving. So I suppose there may come a sad day when I, too, must look silly with a little thing in my ear while I'm driving. Sigh. Welcome to the future.