We used to climb trees.
Why are the people in this nation slaves to little pieces of worn, green paper?
Greed, power, selfishness?
A lack of compassion?
Where is the human connection? Weren’t many of us, in childhood, taught to share? Does this courteous gesture expire, with the ability to talk to each other?
Who are we, if not accessories to our phones, and busy virtual lives? When did we forget to care about the faces around us? Polite waves, the occasional “How are you?” When did we stop waiting for a response?
GO OUTSIDE. Breathe fresh air. Walk your dog; lift your face to the sun, and observe your surroundings. Speak with those around you, because a stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet. Climb a tree, row a boat, go for a run.
Check out a library and read a book (turn pages like a dinosaur because it is more fun). Smell the old tomes and remember a life when our noses were buried in books, not screens. Days we did not swipe pages on a tablet.
Create art. The scent of crayons will send you straight back to kindergarten, when there were no cell phones or internet and the world was filled with wonder.
Enjoy “real” life, with a smile, and remember to look up!
–SJB