Hello America

Nom de Plume here, Ishimo says that he received “some” positive comments from my last post and that I should post some more. Personally I think they be crazy or maybe Ish is just trying to get me to give out free advice I could be getting paid for from said crazies (if they had money). Either way, if i make one person laugh so hard that they pee their pants, it’s all worth it. Because honestly, who doesn’t like to laugh so freely that you split a gut, where you are screaming “Stop it, Stop it” because you are just trying to catch your breath.

Personally, I see less of that now than 30 years ago. Used to be I could be walking down a busy street and catch someone laughing so uncontrollably that it would infectious, others would smile, then start laughing (having no idea what they were laughing about) and soon you would have a very happy group. And what a great start to a day that would make if you could have a good laugh early in the morning, the whole day just seemed easier to take.

Now when I walk down a crowded street, while avoiding being run down by all the people looking down at the their smartphones, all I see is the occasional smile while someone just typed “LOL” into an app. Socialization has become a series of bits and bytes with no true emotion attached to it. Reminds me of a couple I know, almost 30 years my junior, that I witnessed get in argument, they were 3 feet apart, and they texted their comments back and forth instead of just looking at each other face to face and discussing their problems. Admittedly, I do not get it. Granted i grew up in a time before the invention of cellphones, (anyone remember party lines?) But I was ahead of the curve with technology. My father being a Professor of Computer Sciences, I was thrown into the world of computers and the “internet” back in its infancy. I remember tagging along with my father as a boy to where he worked and if the computer was free (back then it was an IBM 1130, it took up the space of two university rooms), I was allowed to jump on and communicate with other education and government entities that were connected back then. It was simplistic, green monochromatic screen, key card punch keyboard, and basic turned based conversations. But this experience did not deter me from wanting human contact. On the contrary, it made me want to meet the person at the other end so much more. So at what point did technology turn people into hermits that will not even have a discussion with their spouse face to face? Where are we heading when someone needs help and all they can get is “a like and a share” when what they need is a helping hand and a hug.

Although slightly off topic, I believe this next story is still inline with what I am babbling on about. Earlier this week I was at Walmart, doing some Walmartian hunting, the cart I grabbed had a pink leather item in it. I picked it up, opened it and found it was someone’s high end smartphone, all the IDs, credit cards, etc. and I assume their cash (I did not check that deep). I did not mull over what I would do with it, I did not sway back and forth as to whether I would sell the phone and IDs and keep whatever valuable I could use. I instead immediately headed to the Customer Service Desk to turn it in. That is in itself, in my opinion, should not be any big deal. My mother raised me to do what is right “If it was yours, what would you want someone to do”. But what surprised me was the reaction I got from the line of people behind me when they witnessed me turn in the item to customer service. People were agast, comments were being said like “wow, what a good guy” “you just turned that wallet in?” and many others that kind of put me back for a moment. I had to take a minute to process it all and then I had to say out loud to everyone in line. “What surprises me is that you are shocked that someone would do the right thing, and does that mean by your reaction, that you, yourselves, would not have done the right thing?” It is a sad, sad thing that society is actually de-evolving.

In closing, all I ask of every person who reads this rabble, go out and hug someone, hug a loved one, hug a stranger and hug life. Then find someone, anyone, and go have a conversation about anything and finally if you can muster up the strength, make someone laugh till they pee their pants, offer them a towel or another pair of pants and then laugh about that.

Love & Light

Nom de Plume

NO ONE, but no one, uses my litter box but me!