You've Got Mail

I have been contemplating writing this blog for quite some time now as I knew it might be a touchy subject for some people. I just have one question for the general public: "WHERE HAVE YOUR MANNERS GONE???" It is in all caps because I am extremely perturbed when I think about this topic. I feel like I can't have a conversation or share a meal with someone without that person either a) answering their phone, b) texting someone, c) checking their email, or d) all of the above. I admit that I am guilty of this at times, but there are many people out there (some of whom are my close friends) who are repeat offenders. I can think of countless meals in the past few months where the person I am with looks at their phone more than they look at me. Trust me, this is not some case of extreme narcissism. I don't need the person I am with to stare at me throughout the entire meal. I would just like them to be more engaged in the conversation we are having than who has written on their Facebook wall. I'm not knocking good ole FB either...however, there is a time and a place for that sort of thing and during dinner with your friend is not it.

I can't decide what the root cause of said behavior is. Possible explainations are as follows.

1) The person really is extremely busy, and I should feel lucky to be dining with them. (This is only reserved for key political figures and CEO types.)
2) The person has low self-esteem and feels the need to check all forms of communication to feel better about himself/herself.
3) The person is just plain RUDE and lacks proper etiquette.

For most people I know, it seems to be a combination of #s 2 and 3. While I think iPhones are extremely cool, I would like to have a come to Jesus talk with whoever invented adding email to cell phones. I bet he/she cannot get through one meal without checking their precious email.

To sum it all up, I am not against these advanced forms of technology. It enables me to "work" from remote locations such as Phipps Plaza, the pool, and my bed. That being said let's all try harder to check our email/voicemail/Facebook/Blackberry chat less and check in with each other more often.