Soapbox Wednesday…….  I do not think I have had a soapbox Wednesday, so here we go.   Grab your beverage and settle in!  I am sure I can find a few things to poke fun at myself about.

A few weeks ago Jeff drove the semi to a competition for the marching band in Muncie.  Jake loves to go to these events.  So he tagged along.  They had to be to school at 5 in the morning and would not be home until after midnight.  So it was a long and very rainy day!  At 5:20 I get a call that Jeff forgot his cell phone.  At this point Jake was still in treatment and wore down pretty easy, so I went into a bit of a panic about being out of touch with them for that amount of time.  When the teen called me for Jeff I ran out the front door because they were just leaving the high school.  I had to run back in because I forgot my batteries and had to cover up.  Then I decided I better put contacts in because I am as blind as a bat.  I was in a hurry so just put in my right one.  I guess I decided it was ok if I could see one half of Rockville Road clearly.  After all I was only going a few miles to catch him.  The kids on the busses were calling me with their location.  I was always just a little bit behind.  Can you guess where I finally caught up with them?  At the Muncie exit!  Yes it was an hour and a half trip.  As soon as I caught him my panic went away.  He had a cell phone.  I could check on Jake.  All was well with the world, even if I was driving home in pouring down rain with the ability to see out of just one eye.  I would like to think that I panicked because I was worried about Jake wearing out of energy.  If I am honest it was probably more than that. 

We are in a world that we are connected all of the time!  I think modern technology is amazing!!!  I also feel like it often controls our lives.  I am not the savviest person when it comes to technology.  A few years ago I joined facebook.  I took a picture of myself and wanted to send it to my friend Angela.  So I took one of the photos that you see the kids do in the mirrors of their selves.  My message read “does it look like I had a rough night?”    I giggled as I sent it knowing I would get a pretty fast and humorous response.  I was brushing my teeth and heard my notifications on my phone start going crazy.  I had messages saying “Thanks for being real.” “You just made my morning.”  Guess what?  They were not from my friend Angela.  I had posted the picture to facebook!  Let me explain why this is such a big deal.  I was in a spotted leopard print gown that no one of my size should probably ever be caught wearing.  My hair looked like I had been charming snakes, and not everything hangs where it should in my older age.  I went flying down the stairs yelling at Makenzie “GTE IT OFF!  GET IT OFF!”  After she laughed because she did not know that I could still run, she removed the post for me.  I still have not lived that one down.  So that day I learned by a click of my finger I could post something to the entire world.  This time it was funny ( I did not think so then) …but I do not always think that is the case. 

What else has technology taught me?  I downloaded an app and know that I am not smarter than a 5^th grader.  I also learned that Web MD is not my friend.  That will be a story for another day.  I have been able to connect with friends I would have never seen again.    I am in love with twitter.  That is where I follow a lot of the Christian people that I admire and get a lot of inspiration to make it through the day.  So it has its up sides.  Let me share though from my experience of what I catch myself doing.  I have times that I will be at a stoplight and grab my phone and check for messages.  I might scroll through facebook.  What could possibly happen in that amount of time that I put my phone down? 

 The best one that I have been guilty of is making a post that I am out to a nice dinner with just my hubby.  Really?  If it is so nice and I am supposed to be spending time with him why am I posting on my phone?  I should be letting him know how happy I am to be spending time with just him.  Does the world really care if we are out to dinner together? 

Jake and I did a little experiment.  In one week we were flipped off three times while driving back and forth to treatment.  One time was completely my fault.  I was waving sorry as the person was driving by calling me every name in the book. Have you ever had someone behind you honk at a stoplight because you did not go before you even had a chance to put your foot on the accelerator? I think people are always on the edge and act like this because most of us do not really have any down time.  We are go..go…go…  We read what is going on in the world…and then go some more.  We are irritated and hateful and not kind to those around us, but will post what a great day we have had.  One day on the way home from Bloomington we counted in all of the cars that we passed, or that passed us, how many were on their phones or some type of device.  19 out of 30 were talking on their phone, reading their phones, or had it in their hands.  They were probably holding it to act like me at that next stoplight.  Stopping to check what I have missed in the last 10 minutes. 

I remember setting through a marriage class and it talked about the most damaging thing you could do in a marriage was have a TV in your bedroom.  It would keep you from spending time with each other or you would go to sleep watching a show.  I know we have been lying in bed both looking at our phones right before we go to sleep.  We are so busy reading the news, or filling our minds with more info that we don’t stop to talk about what is going on in our own life.  So I think that material needs to be updated to not bringing your telephone to bed with you. I am guilty of waking up in the morning and grabbing the phone before I even thank God for waking me up another day.  I do not know about you, but once I start reading I do not stop and I am caught up in the day.  I wonder if we ever really stop to live in the moment. 

I have had times when I have not answered so people would call my kids to see why I am not answering.  And then when they get me will say you were not answering your phone. I have done the same to my family.  I think we should all have a day where we mark our families unavailable. 

Technology is inevitable. I think it is amazing and zaps the life out of us at the same time.  If you have made it this far you are probably thinking how did I get sucked into this. Talk about a time zapper. I will never get those ten minutes of my life back.  J  I am working on being in the moment when it matters.  I read a devotional by Max Lucado today that said our days are already numbered by God.  It is so true.  What are we in such a rush to get to?  We will all cross the finish line when God appoints that time. 

You may be wondering, since I have really thought about this and am trying to work on it, would I do the same thing and chase Jeff down to Muncie with his cell phone.  Where are my car keys?  J  What can I say?  I am a work in progress!