Thursday, August 15, 2013

Dear Family & Friends,
     Those of you that read my BLOG, my E-Mails, or check me out on Facebook, know that I try to stay upbeat and happy. I am always telling to people to Live, Love, & Laugh. I use a lot of  motivational pictures with quotes. Try to spread humor, and upbeat things.
     But no matter how much good is in our lives, there will always be negative things we have to
 face. One of the biggest things we have to face is rude cell phone use and texting. It has become an epidemic. It is not other people's responsibility to cope with your mobile phone use, it is your responsibility to use your phone inoffensively. Please note that inoffensively is not defined by what you expect others to tolerate, but by what others do in fact find offensive. Ignore this principle and you are sure to be rude.
     You have to remember, it doesn't take a cell phone to make people rude. People were rude before cell phones, but I do believe they have made us even ruder.
     You should not be a slave to your phone, the technology is there to serve you, not the other way around.
     Just a few common sense things that we should not do. Never have a phone on during a funeral or memorial service. I was at a memorial service when a very respected local business man's phone went off. My immediate thought was he must have just forgot to turn it off, but then he proceeded to to talk on it.
     Turn off your phone at the movie theater. Even if your phone is on vibrate, people can hear it during quiet parts of the movie. The light from your phone's screen is also very distracting. Don't check the time, don't check your text messages, just turn it off until the movie is over. If you recieve an important call that you must answer, exit the theatre to do so.
     Don't use your phone when having a meal with someone. Ideally, you should turn it off entirely. If you're anticipating an important call, let the people you're with know beforehand that you're expecting a call and that you'll need to take. No matter what don't hold the conversation at the table, step away. Never text at the table, even if the face to face conversation dies down. It is just disrespectful.
     Joan and I were at P.F. Changs for dinner this past Valentine's Day. A man and his wife and three children were seated at a table next to us. The Father never put his phone down the whole time we were there. Even after their food came he would lower the phone, take a bite, go back to his texting, lower the phone, take another bite, never seen him have any conversation with his family.
     Never put your phone on speaker when you are with others. They don't want to hear your conversation and they sure don't want to hear who you are talking to.
     It is rude to book an appointment at the doctors, dentist, hairdressers, etc. rather then letting them do their job if you are on the phone you can't concentrate on what they are saying to you.
     Families and friends get together for special occassions, holidays, etc., when I look around and see most of them either talking or texting on their phones and no one is holding a conversation I just take mine out and start using it. Hey if every one else is going to be rude, why not me. LOL Then of course all the way home my beautiful wife is giving me Hell. She seems to only see me doing it and not all the others. LOL
     When we would go to Carter's soccer games I was always astounded at the number of parents and grandparents who were on their phones, not even watching their children playing. Same thing when we take the boys to a bounce house, our community pool, or numerous other activities. I have seen children run over and say Mommy, Mommy, did you see what I did, they usually say yes I did when they weren't even looking.
     And last but not least, do not text while driving. What message is so important that it is worth dying for or going to jail because of killing someone on the road. I just read where if you are driving 70 miles an hour and you take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds you travel the lenght of a football field. How many times do people need to be told, DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE-YOU CAN KILL SOMEONE, MAYBE EVEN YOUR
 OWN CHILD, THINK ABOUT THAT
     Thousands of deaths and injuries have been caused by cell phone use.  

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