Remember When?

I found myself thinking about my teen years today. Remember the good old days? I'm talking about the days before cell phones. Our kids cannot even believe that their dad and I were alive during that dark time. (Well, they think it was a dark time!)

Remember how, when a boy (or even a girlfriend) called, your parents would answer the phone and then pass it to you? They always knew exactly who was calling - maybe even chatted with them a moment before handing you the phone!

Remember how you used to have to stand in the same room as your parents when you talked to your friends on the phone? Because, let's face it -- you were attached to a CORD! You always had to think about what you were saying (let's call it accountability) before you spoke to your friends... because you were standing in front of your parents.

And remember that when you were out with your family... you were out with (wait for it) YOUR FAMILY, and nobody could reach you until you got back home? Nobody could interrupt your family time, offer you other options, and make you long to be away from your family?

That was life.  We didn't know any different. It's fair to say things have changed!

Today, I was out shopping with my kids, for my kids, and one of them got a phone call.  All of a sudden, it was "my friend has a plan, we wanna go to such-and-such-a-place, and therefore, when are we going home?"  To be fair, my child was not rushing me -- but all of a sudden, I felt rushed.

I refused to hurry and let the party be over.  Very "parental" of me, yes?

Let's pretend there was no cell phone, and no call that interrupted our shopping trip.  Let's pretend.

Technology is great,

but has it invaded your life in ways that you...

haven't quite come to appreciate yet?

Tell me --am I alone?