Acceptance

 It seems social distancing actually began with television, then technology, which has brought us to personal telephones  I remember the early days of call waiting, when a phone conversation is interrupted with an incoming call, only to have the individual return after several moments to tell me, "they forgot about me."  At first it was difficult to hang up and just let them call me back when their Joe Biden moment passes, because it was my mother.   After all these years she still does it, but if I call and she's already on the phone, I get voice mail . . .  Perhaps I should take it personally.  Nah, there are far more offensive things taking place, all around us.

If I had a dollar for every time an in-person conversation was interrupted to answer a call or respond to a text, I'd be one wealthy woman.   It has absolutely amazed me, the number of times, I am mid-sentence, only to see the other person looking down at their screen or even tapping the keypad.  So, some social distancing has just replaced the rudeness that already existed in the culture of America.  The social distancing began long before CV-19.

I've been out to lunch with individuals who answer their phone and proceed to have a conversation.  A conversation!  So far, I've not been sitting at a table with anyone who has received an emergency call.  That I would understand.  These calls pertain to plans of another time, or simply just chitchat.  I'm sitting across the table wondering what I should do.  If the conversation continues too long, I begin to wonder why I even thought this was a good idea, to begin with.  

Now that most of our society is addicted to phones, we are all social distancing.  With the introduction of tracer and tracker apps, I've posted to social media that I do not want SMART phones in my home.  A couple of individuals have respected my wishes, and now that I think about it, that's all the company I've had.  Perhaps my statement on social media seemed too harsh.  I figure if someone must have their phone on them at all times, then they can just call.  

Remember the outrage and reaction to the news that the phones would have tracking and tracer apps?  Many folks vowed to stop carrying their phones.  Then, of course, youtube videos surfaced explaining and demonstrating how to turn the apps off.  Do you think anyone is still leaving their phone at home or checking to see if the apps have been reinstalled?  Now, new phones are being promoted with cost-saving upgrades, which causes me to wonder if the tracking technology may already be hardwired into the new phones.

It simply doesn't take long for people to just accept the "new normal" and forget what we would "never do" and "never allow."  It does seem everyone is still angry and upset, but the subject and the targets have changed . . . again!

For our "safety" GPS was built into phones.  There seems to be an APP for everything now.  How long will it be before tracking and tracing are automatic in every phone, and accepted?