Honk The Horn

From Brooklyn, I was driving up to Westchester to pick up my daughter. Along the way I suddenly realized I had forgotten my phone. I felt lost. It was 5 degrees out. I couldn’t help but think, this will be the day my car breaks down on the Deegan.  

When I arrived at the house I honked the horn to let her know I was out front. You should have seen the quizzical look on her beautiful 16-year-old face when she walked out the door.  It was a means of communication she had not witnessed before.  Maybe I will beat a drum or send out smoke signals next time.

@rich2001

Learn To Write Again

Having spent the past few years ‘off the grid’ I decided recently to start exploring social media in earnest.  I am now punching out tweets and fb status’, and have even launched this blog.  Yes, there is something very compelling about completing a concise thought in less than 140 characters. However, my thoughts are longer, and my memory shorter.

I want to learn how to write again. I think I forgot how.

I just witnessed two of my friends publish books. Their commitment to sitting and writing everyday was impressive. Their timeless discussion over the choice of words was inspirational. It encouraged me to read through old material I had written over the years that had been stored in a wooden file cabinet – business ideas, project plans, poems, lyrics, short stories. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading it. I was reminded of how poor a writer I have become.

But now, ouch, look at my syntax, look at my dangling participles, look at how I started this sentence with ‘but’. Wow, I have to correct spelling errors again, capitalize ‘I’, and think in complete sentences. I have forgotten the rules of ‘to be’, the uses of ‘is/are’, and the meaning of ‘wit’. Damn, wtf is an adverb again?

Twenty-years ago I only had to answer a phone or knock on a door. Fifteen-years ago I had to answer a phone and check my email. Ten-years ago we added a bit of texting. Now I have to fb, tweet, linkedin, email, txt, blog, etc.

I think I’ll send a hand written note to a friend. How much are stamps now anyway?

twitter: @rich2001

Deaf, Numb and Blind

I just lifted my head up from reading messages on my phone, while cranking music thru my headphones, and realized that mobile media is going to make us all Deaf, Numb and Blind.

First I had to refocus my eyes to see clearly into the distance, that small screen is going to make us all (blind).

Than I took my headphones off and had to shake the cobwebs out of my ears to hear again (deaf).

That is when I noticed three very attractive young woman all sitting alone at tables socializing with their phones (numb).

I am heading out to play some pinball.

twitter: @rich2001