Those Were the Days!!!!

Remember the good ole days? For me, the good ole days were back in the 70's and 80's in a small town in Mississippi. Fun fact: I was born and raised in the same little town that claims the birth of Oprah Winfrey. That's right....Kosciusko, Mississippi....the birthplace of brilliant people! Life was so simple back then.

We had a PARTY LINE.  I remember picking up the rotary phone that hung in the kitchen and slowly lifting my index finger off the metal hanger-upper-thingy  in an effort not to disturb the person who might have been  in a conversation with someone on the line. Several houses shared a single phone line. Ms. Dicey, who lived next door to us, would give me the what-for if I picked up more than once while she was having her daily gab-fest with one of her other widow friends. Those were the days!

It is hard to believe that there was a time in my life when I remembered my friends' actual phone numbers! I can still remember Granny's number...289-2465....Christie's 289-7394...Jennifer's 289-6786.....April's 289-5928.....Now, I simply scroll down to the person's name and tap it with my finger. Times have changed! I also remember actually using a payphone! I remember when the cost went from 25 cents to 35. How annoying it was to keep up with that extra dime! Those were the days!

Some of my favorite memories as a teen are from hanging out with my friends at school. We'd sit in the hallways before school started (that is, until we were told there would be no more sitting in the halls...then we resorted to sitting elsewhere. I'll just leave that one alone) and discuss all the important happenings around the metropolis of Attala County. Lunch was more than a meal. Lunch at Kosciusko High School in the 80's was a social soiree! This was the time we'd plan our gatherings for the weekend. There is just no substitution for human interaction. We had no cell phones. We had no iPods. We had no laptops. Those were the days!

Have you walked into a middle school or high school lately? Go check it out. Kids have their faces planted in their electronic devices the entire 30 minutes allowed for chewing their sandwiches.  Without looking up, they seem to be on auto-pilot as those around them do the same. I am all for technology and I love that my children have access to so much information. However, I can't help but wonder how much more bright their world would be if they would just LOOK UP and interact with their peers. I understand that it's a "new age" and "times have changed," but is it all really for the better?

Mr. Hull---totally interacting with the students!

I wonder what would happen if teens were asked to leave their devices home for a while. They'd be forced to go to the library and actually FIND A BOOK when research is needed in class. Taking out an iPhone to google on 3G wouldn't be an option.  Kids would be forced to look at each other as they eat lunch.  Surely this would cause interaction and conversation between friends.  Maybe they'd even learn something about each other! I bet my children would flip their lids if they weren't able to text me things like,"Staying after school," "Plz bring my hw," "Starbucks?" What would teens do without being able to listen to their choice of music while moseying down the sidewalk? How would they survive the bus ride home without earphones or texts from friends?

I hope kids today realize the importance of human interaction.  Texts and emails aren't sufficient tools for getting to know each other.  Inflection of voice and the blinking of eyes add so much to a conversation. If we look up, we may find someone interesting.  Just put the technology down long enough to realize who is around you.  Enjoy your teen years with your friends.  There will be plenty time for texting when you're old and living in different cities.  Just imagine.....you can look back on these times and remember things like lunchtime gossip, class projects, road trips(where everyone is involved in a conversation INSIDE the vehicle and not via text) and late-night slumber parties full of giggles and secrets.  You can pick up the latest craze in technology and reminisce with your friends..."THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!!"