Hello? Is It YOU I'm Looking For?

     I know, at times, that, I 'show my age', with respect to certain, societal, changes...sound more, and, more, like my parents, each and every day. Guess, this is just the way it goes, from one generation to the next. I must say, that, I find it very 'interesting', to say the least, having one foot in one 'era' and, the other in the 'modern-world'. Being a child of the 60's, I grew-up, as did many of you, in a, 'much, simpler', time. When I imagine what things must have been like for our, parents, before us, well...It's easy, to see why some of the 'older-generation' becomes a bit 'shocked', at what is considered 'the norm', these, days. Myself...I don't think, that, I'm shocked, so much as I might feel a little disappointed. For, it seems to me, that, with the 'advancements' made, with, every, new,' body of individuals', born and living during a same period, now, in particular, some, such, 'progress' is, anything, but. Take, for instance, the new, 'need', that, so, many, people, seem to have, with regard to their, personal, hand-held, 'phones'. I'm not even sure why I still refer to these, pieces of technology as 'phones', as, it seems, barely, a soul, uses them for calling anyone. Must be 'my age' showing, again! But, I digress...anyway, you know what I'm referring to...this, incessant, desire, to always, be 'connected', to feel the necessity for constant-communication with the 'outside-word'; so much so that it seems some simply cannot 'function', otherwise. It is as if these, pieces of plastic, used to process words, sounds, signs, and, just about EVERY behavior one can envision, have become as integral as any other 'body-part', for many folk, young and old, alike. First-off...I don't get it. Second...I STILL don't get it! However, I read something, recently, which, may assist me in, better understanding this, new-norm, and, perhaps, too, you might find it interesting. An author and speaker, one, Mr. Martin Lindstrom, thinks that cellphones have become akin to a 'best-friend', for many owners. His 'experiment', using an MRI, helped him discover why this may be so. When the 'subjects', of this 'test' saw or heard their phones ringing, their brains fired off neurons in the area associated with feelings of love and compassion. Said Lindstrom, 'It was as if they were in the presence of a girlfriend, boyfriend, or family-member.' Wow...this, sorta, 'blows my mind'; For, to me it implies, that, in general, many, people, put, far, too much, emphasis, on the need for, such, type, interaction; with, this, superseding the desire for more, personal-interchange. And, additionally, these, devices have become, far, too, important, to the point of being 'idolized', in a sense. Yes...I, myself, DO own a phone; but, that is, precisely, what it is...a phone. It is rudimentary, yet, reliable, and, it's comforting to know, that when I must, I CAN connect to the outside world. However, to imagine 'IT', as anything, but, a phone, consciously, or not, isn't something I feel occurs in my 'psyche'. Although, it's 'plain', 'simple', and, 'uncomplicated'...kinda like the guys I go for. Hmmm...maybe there's more to this than I imagine! Just Sayin'...