Ok, I've had it. We, as a social media world, are going to stop the madness.
I am declaring Dec. 1st as the Turn Off Your Phones and Talk Day! I have no authority to arbitrarily declare a national day of any kind, but I am tired of this scene from above. And this scene below. It seems to be a picture that surrounds our everyday.
People sitting together in small groups and ignoring the breathing being in front of them. We have lost the ability to stare into the eyes of the person across from us and say things like, "Hey, how's the new job going?" Or, "I'm sorry about your loss, how can I help you?" We tweet out these one liners because we have fooled ourselves into thinking that speaking is more important than listening. That being heard will make us a valuable human being.
I picked December 1st because it should be a good lead up to the Christmas holidays. Before Christmas parties and social events dictate our lives. Because our kids, our friends, our parents need to know that they are more important than shooting off that one last email before dinner time.
Here are the rules:
1. Put down your phone (or any other type of technology that tempts you to not be present to the people in your lives).
2. Plan a date with someone who needs you. That could be a friend, a child, a spouse, and ailing grandparent.
3. Share the picture from above. Or this entire blog post. Let's help people turn off and tune in!
This is the day for no more excuses. Unless you are President Obama, your job will manage without you for the day. Let's not think we are more important than we really are. The world WILL keep turning without our immediate attention.
I'll be posting a few things regarding my little National Holiday here in the next week or so. Let's brainstorm some things we can do as a people who just need to disconnect and then reconnect. Let's not remain slaves to our phones and computers. Life is too fragile to not take in the presence of the people to our left and our right.
