Happy hump day my people. It’s the middle of a productive work week with only two days left until another fun filled weekend. This past Sunday (*Mother’s Day*), it was my honor to attend the commencement ceremony of Nazareth College. Students received doctorate, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees in different fields including social work, education, science and art. Sen. Charles Schumer gave remarks about making choices and how sometimes those choices can come out wrong but you have to brush yourself off, get back up and figure out how to get it right.
The commencement speaker was the mayor of Rochester, NY Tom Richards. His message was (*I think*) was for the graduated to think about the Rochester community and the failing Rochester City School District. The gist of his speech was for the new graduates to not turn their backs on the communities that need the most help, to remember to use the education they have just received and help someone other than themselves.
But this isn’t really about the ceremony, although the theme came from the president of the college. While I was sitting in the god awful Blue Cross Arena seating (*not built for big people*) and playing around with phone (*along with most of the crowd and the graduates*) he said that he was out to dinner with his wife and picked up his cell phone to check his e-mail. His wife asked him if he thought he had received an urgent message in the 2 minutes since the last time he looked at his phone. To me that was an eye opening statement. Because like the most of you, I have my phone in my hands constantly. I’m looking at tech sites, I’m changing the screens, I’m updating the systems, I’m changing the systems, I’m constantly tinkering. I’ve done some of these things while driving my truck. Most of you are on Facebook, Twitter, texting, Ruzzling, or Words with Friending. We are constantly on our phones doing something which is a bunch of nothing. I usually watch TV with my phone in my hands and my laptop in front of me. My girl is always on Facebook; the first thing she does in the morning is pick up her phone and go straight to Facebook and then play a game of Ruzzle.
Today, we are doing something different. I understand the tech addiction that I have. I am up on the latest news about the latest phones. I can go into any Best Buy, Radio Shack or carrier branded store and give customers better information than they get from the reps that work there. I can take an Android phone and make it do things that you never thought or knew it could do. I can find those secret pictures on your girlfriends/boyfriends phone or I can make it so you never have to store a picture on your phone ever again. All of this tinkering for what? It’s still a phone. It’s only a phone. I know that I haven’t heard everything that I should hear during a conversation because I was doing something on my phone. It’s got to stop!
My girl and I have decided to go on a break. She will stay off of Facebook for a week and I’m going to stay off of Facebook, XDA-Developers, Mycolorscreen and Android Central, as well as stop playing Call of Duty. For one week we will have each others undivided attention. For one week we will break the digital shackles that seem to have us all like the Matrix. For one week we will talk without stopping to send a text, Tweet or to update a status. For one week we will go out to dinner and not allow a vibration or a ringtone distract us. For one week if I don’t hear what she said it’ll be because my male selective hearing kicked in and not because I was trying to get a blood streak going on Call of Duty. For one week she will not cyber stalk anyone on Facebook. For one week we will miss all the “Niggas Be Like…” and the “Share if you love Jesus” and the everyday postings of friends and family. If someone wants to get in contact with us, they will have to text, email, or CALL!
The major cell phone carriers have banned together and started an “It Can Wait” campaign. Founded by AT&T, it’s goal is to get everyone to realize that texting and driving is no bueno. According to textinganddrivingsafety.com (*short link http://goo.gl/UA5lL) you travel the length of a football field (*100 yds, 300 ft*) going 55 mps and taking 5 seconds to send a text. 300 ft in 5 seconds! There are a lot of interesting stats on the site but the one that got me the most was 48% of kids 12-17 have been in a vehicle where the driver was texting. That’s means my son was in the car while I was texting or checking the web. 4 of my god-children have been in a vehicle while someone was texting (*I have 8 god-children*). And it’s not just texting. It’s checking email, eating, changing cd’s, putting on makeup, turning to beat the kid in the back seat. All these things go on while driving 55 or faster. We have to stop it. It really can wait.
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