We’ve had this conversation countless times in our house but I think because we are dealing with the invincible crowd it falls on deaf ears.
My mother-in-law can’t imagine what could possibly be so important it couldn’t wait until we at least arrived at our destination.
I have to agree with my children that there are certain things that can’t wait, I am younger than their grandmother and have had more exposure to the technological advances we have made in the last decade.
Take this morning. My daughter was travelling an hour to a conference and she really was not sure how to get there although we had drawn a map and gone over the directions for half an hour last night. The phone rang really early this morning, we missed her call, no message, no text, just caller ID.
Worried we debated whether to call her back, but decided it was safer if we didn’t because she was probably driving.
I went to mass, not to pray for her road safety but because I wasn’t going to be able to go tonight. So, I did the only thing my children will respond to promptly, I texted her,
“U k?”
Then I pulled out of my garage and worried for five minutes. When I heard my phone beep I continued worrying envisioning her on the side of the road desperately trying to contact us, or anyone, for help. No red light stopped my progression so I had to wait until I pulled into the church’s car park to read her response,
“I’m here. I had a directional question earlier.” Whew! I thought.
“Whew! Good job. I love you!” I texted.
She beeped back, “Love you too,” and that was that.
Had my journey been any further than ten minutes down the road I would have stopped to have this little textual exchange, it couldn’t wait because she may have been in trouble and the whole point of new technology is to make our lives immediate! No delayed gratification for this generation. What is “delayed whatever” anyway???
Then…and here’s the point of my story, as I was driving home I was behind a car that started driving up on the verge, narrowly missing a tree before plonking back down on to the road and into my path. It weaved across its lane in front of another car as if the driver’s mind was in an altered state. Then it hopped the curb again as it quickly swerved in response to a loud horn blast. Not mine! PT Cruisers don’t blast loudly!
Curious about this erratic operation of a deadly weapon, I pulled up alongside the unpredictable car at the next set of lights and yes, the driver had her head down and was texting. She wasn’t even looking at the road!
I made my car squeak and the texter jumped and glanced over. I gave her a look while she made a U-turn and went back the way she had come.
A member of the invincible crowd right there before my eyes.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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