Phoniness

     "Why don't you get rid of that piece of junk?"

     That is what one of my kids hinted a while back.  My oldest - the fashionista - replaces her phone more than some people change their underwear.  She has a device that allows you to talk, text, surf, video and go broke all at the same time.  Me?  I'm still using a flip phone, one of those cheapies that hang near the cash register at Walmart or Target.  You know your phone is crap...when they no longer put anti-theft locks on the display rods.

     I am not an early adopter of anything.  Call me slow, but I'd rather let everybody else wrestle with version 1.0, while the bugs are still being worked out.  Then, around version 4 or 5.0, when the prices are cheaper, I dive in.  This approach has worked well for me; to this day I have never lost a job or a freelance gig because of an antiquated phone.

     Still, I will admit that looking cool as Captain Kirk isn't cool at all...especially when you have a lame ring tone.

     RINNNNNNNNNNNG!

     Yes, I use the traditional, old fashioned telephone sound.  And it went off while I was in the library.

     "Yes, what'sup?" I said, trying to whisper into my dork-o-phone.

     "Oh Dad, I just wanted to ask if you were coming home soon"  my middle daughter said.

     "Sure.  I'll be home in an hour."

     "Okay.  I'm cooking dinner!  Soup and sandwiches!"

     "Thank you!" I said.  But snapping the phone shut, I thought And thanks for burning up my prepaid minute!

     I later learned that she had cooked a magnificent feast of grilled cheese sandwiches.   The browned and buttery triangles were picture perfect, crispy and still warm under a transparent cover.  As for the soup, it was literally a can of Progresso New England style clam chowder.  Unopened.  I warmed some leftover vegetables to complete the color scheme.

     More calls came in, from people needing my freelance help to friends asking if I had an extra hard drive or some other techno-garbage from my collection.  But now my phone was on vibrate; voice mail would pick them up.   There would be other opportunities to make money or to play junk man.  There would be other chances to feed my addiction to pseudo-urgency.

     But there would never be another opportunity to enjoy that mismatched meal prepared with love, to which I had been summoned by the prepaid annoyance, which I temporarily ignored.

     Always B Positive!

The Blessing of Incovenience

   This morning I saw a young lady crossing the street.

     Apparently she had just visited a gas station.   She was wearing flip flops and that style which I hope will one day fade away:  Pajamas.  The flip flops were common - after all, this is Florida - although I would not recommend wearing them when one is jaywalking down Apalachee Parkway (think of a wide street with a raised divider in your own city).  As for the pajamas...it's a personal choice, even though I don't let my kids walk out the house in them.

     Yet the most fascinating thing about her was the content of her nearly see-through plastic bag:  A two liter coke, some potato chips and other snacks.  The bag was from the gas station, but right next door is a Walmart SuperCenter.  Assuming that she had bought the overpriced items at the gas station, why would she overlook Walmart?  The reasons may range from customer service to proximity; yet the one that sticks in my mind is convenience. 

     How often does convenience drive our choices? 

     How often will we pay more for a commodity, when generics and even name brands (at a better price) are available nearby?

     How often will we reach for cheap and easy fast food, when we can (and need to) eat something better and healthier at home?

     How often will we spend a dollar, when saving it makes more sense?

     How often will we tolerate toxic behavior from toxic people, all in the name of  love (which incidentally shares the same first letter as laziness)?

     Do I need to mention exercise?

     How often will we take the path of least resistance, when we need the challenge of the road less taken?

     Inconvenience is a pain in the neck, but sometimes it might be the first step to becoming a better person.

     Always B Positive!