The Way We Were

Silly title for this post I know, but it's what comes to mind. I saw something this weekend about the US Post Office and how they are losing money and talking about going to a 5 day work week, etc, etc. It just got me to thinking how so many things have changed. And how impersonal everything has gotten. It doesn't bother me t hat the Post Office wants to do a 5 day work week. That just makes sense.


One of the obvious reasons there is less mail is that more people are paying their bills and shopping on the Internet. More people are sending e-mails and e-cards and not writing letters and sending good Old Hallmark paper greetings. So easy to sit at a computer screen and point, click and it's done! Bill paid, money transferred, card sent. No personal interaction. I have to admit I can't remember the last time I actually had to go into a bank. I'm guilty of using the Internet to bank and pay bills tho since it is so much more convenient and immediate. I still prefer to send a card in the mail with a handwritten signature and a fun US Stamp. People nowadays have pretty much forgotten how to write a letter I think. I enjoy it and have taken to writing more than I have in the recent past, since I realized that e-mail is too impersonal.


And while we are on the subject of impersonal - let's talk about phones. And how many people are really using them to talk that much? Texting. Tweeting. Facebooking. That's how we are socializing now days. People go into coronary shock if they leave the house and they don't have their phone. Of course there are some that that wouldn't ever happen to since they are never OFF the phone. And when you do happen to actually be in the company of someone - actually socializing face to face - nothing is more irritating than having them constantly checking the phone - responding to texts, twitters and god knows what else. It's Rude - it was rude when I was a child when people interrupted a conversation and it is still rude. If you're out with someone and spending time with them, then turn the fucking phone OFF people. Pretend you are in a movie. How did people ever drive ANYPLACE before having a phone? MAYBE THEY SPOKE TO THEIR PASSENGERS ??? Isn't that novel? No passengers? Maybe they sang along to the radio or enjoyed the ride without chattering constantly. NO GPS? How in Gods name did we EVER find where we were going ????? Paper maps - WTF??


And don't even ask me about drivers who TEXT while driving.........