Columns see more »

Can you hear me now? This has taken on a whole new meaning in my life, as children have become preteens and teens. It just used to be a funny little saying that everyone got off a cute commercial. Now I feel like I say it a million times a day.

You’ve seen them, the teenagers that walk around 24/7 with headphones on like it is a lifeline that cannot be severed for fear they might die. I have one of these and he drives me crazy. When a simple chore such as taking out the trash becomes a 15 minute ordeal because we have to get our headphones on and pick out just the right song for trash taking out. Who knew? Then overcoming the ability that we only have one hand available to actually get the trash bag out of the can, tied and out the door. See the other hand is now holding on to the lifeline known as the I-pod.

My frustration over acts like these is off the chart. I can go from zero to completely aggravated in no time flat. It used to only bother me when I could hear the music. I am not listening to the Ipod, therefore I do not want to be able to hear it. So I made an amazing purchase of a certain set of headphones called ‘Skull Candy’. (Should have known from the name that they would be trouble.) This handy little devise allows only the listener to hear the music. Thank the Lord!

The downside to these little buggers is that the listener can hear nothing else but the music. So over and over again I find myself saying things like ‘can you hear me’, ‘did you not hear what I said’, and ‘if you do not take those stupid things out of your ears, I will throw your I-pod in the driveway and back over it with the truck a few times’. Do you understand where I am coming from?

Of course you understand, because we adults all have the same problem. Who can leave the house without their cell phone? Not me, it’s my lifeline. How many live conversations have been cut short because you have to answer a phone call or see who is texting you? Trying to maintain eye contact and check your phone is a very difficult thing to do, but we do it.

I was on the table at the chiropractors office getting a very much needed adjustment and my phone started ringing, beeping and singing. Phone calls, text and voice mail. Over eight in a five minute time period. My chiropractor said I must be a popular person. Sure! I sat there just dying to get up and see who it was that was trying to get a hold of me so bad. It was killing me. So after my treatment was done, what did I do? I reached for my purse, while still talking to the chiro, trying to maintain eye contact and check my text and missed calls. How rude!

Advertisement • Your Ad Here

So when you are about to destroy an expensive piece of electronics belonging to your kid, please remember the last time you interrupted that same kid by answering a cell phone call. Poor kid just trying to tell you about the day they had, but you had a phone call. I challenge everyone to take the day off from your personal electronic gadgets, it should be interesting.