BEGUILING MERLIN

Of course we are beguiled. The world of social media, news at your fingertips, and up-to-the-minute stories on your favorite stars keeps us glued to screens whether on the phone, tablet, or computer. So how much is too much?

Does anyone still notice when people in the stores and out on the street go about talking into their Bluetooths? How about standing in line at a take-out or fast food joint and having the person in front of you taking orders over the phone, meanwhile, these orders have not been “hashed out” (pun intended) as of yet? How long does that take? Everything is now in this new world. And instead of looking at each other, we stare at phones and tablets, wasting time.  Ever watch the teens anyplace on a date? Can you imagine staring at the phone instead of each other? Wow, not in my day. (Maybe she’s just not that into you?)

Books, movies, videos, news—everything comes on a small screen. Our attention is focused on four to 11 inches of our surroundings. (Easy to steal that Smart Phone? Damn right! You used to have to pay attention to where you were walking.)

They say the world is getting smaller. We can Skype friends across the world--we used to marvel at such futuristic technology fantasy when we would watch some 1940’s Buck Rogers serial at the kids’ matinees at the movies. Yes, the world has gotten smaller. It is all encompassed in a few square inches of our phones.

So we are beguiled. It is magic. And meanwhile, we don’t look at each other. I admit, I am often guilty. Perhaps it all started with television. I was glued to that little screen as a child, and yes, the screens were tiny despite the fact that a piece of furniture that weighed a ton housed the tube. I faithfully watched cowboys in their white hats on TV on Saturday mornings, well, even later if my grandmother didn’t toss me out of the house. Our channel six smoking cowboy played those movies all day. The cowboys rode pass the same rocks on the Hollywood movie set, probably near where old Charles Manson and family had their digs.

We are all guilty of not paying attention, to the world, and to each other. Our universe has gotten smaller, no doubt. Expand your mind friends. Stop reading this and go look out the window at least.