Hey Howdy Hey

I was just thinking about a short time ago when I had gone into a little café for lunch.

I was sitting there having my meal when a young family of four came in. As soon as they sat down, their phones came out. Not a word was said by any of them. The mom and dad and the two young children sitting with their heads down staring at their phones. The only words that came out of their mouth was when a waitress took their order, then they were back glued to their phones. Even when their food came, they ate and stared at their phones.

Made me think about back when I was a kid. Mealtime was the time everyone got caught up on what was going on in each other’s lives. It was a time when the family had the best time to bond together and enjoy each other’s conversations.

I was also thinking back to the first time I moved to Lincoln, back in the early 90’s. While working at the Wilderness Bar, I had quite a following. People would come from Great Falls, Helena and Butte, just to see “The Jim Show.” I had a box of tricks and jokes that I kept behind the bar that I used to entertain the customers. It was a fun time back then.

Cell phones became more popular in the time I had moved away from Lincoln, then I had come back in 02 and 03 and went back to bartending at the Wilderness, it was much different then. I had to compete with the cell phone. Same thing would happen, they would come in sit down at the bar and stare at their phones. I think there is a saying that “people don’t own their phones; their phones own them.”

Honest and true communications is a thing of the past. Heck, people don’t even talk on the phones anymore, they just text. People drive down the road and they are not even looking at the road. Their heads are pointed down, staring at their phones. It’s pretty dang scary if you ask me.

I often think about the Gramma’s and Grampa’s out their who are competing with the cell phones. Just trying to spend time with their grandkids, who seem to want to stare at their phones all the time. This poor communication takes a tool on relationships and jobs etc. I think people need to start looking up to God more than staring at their phones.

Well, I could go on and on here, but I guess I will wrap up this little story by saying that maybe the next time you go out to eat with your family or friends, make it a point that everyone has to turn off their phones and put them in their pocket. Sit down and enjoy a nice meal and good conversation.

Thank you and God Bless.