Huh? What a preposterous concept. That’s what I thought until I spent 2 hours on Main Street in Newark observing people. Call it a psychology experiment or an unusual way to pass time on a boring summer day, yet technology has altered the way individuals communicate.
Instead of bringing a plastic bag along with you to pick poop, dogs are being replaced with iphones and smartphones. Seeking immediate feedback, emails, texts and tweets are trending in the right direction, at least that’s what the masses think. Listening to downloaded music on their stylish new buds, many are so consumed by the devise attached to their hands and or ears that they oblivious to the world around them.
Since language barriers were first established in Babel, Genesis 11:5-8, there have always been periods of division, misunderstandings and silence. However, the evolution of cell phones has perverted social ethics. Disinterest, disrespect and ignorance is on the rise, reaching epidemic proportions. Thus, as blinded citizens continue to take their phones for a walk, its time for bystanders to help their neighbors break out of this spell, Galatians 3:1, until its too late.
What do you think about today’s cell phone manners?
From 1972 to 1983, the CBS television series MASH, short for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, brought the concept of R & R to prime time. The phrase R & R is an abbreviation for Rest and Relaxation. In MASH, doctors and nurses alike went to Tokyo to unwind from the stress of hour upon hour in an operating room. Although Hollywood’s portrayal often included drunkenness and debauchery, everyone needs a little R & R monthly to recharge their internal batteries.
A season 1 episode of Joan of Arcadia entitled Recreation illustrates a similar point when God calls Joan played by Amber Tamblyn to through a party when her parents go away to celebrate their anniversary. Initially skeptical, gossip spreads like wild fire at Arcadia High, causing a motley crew of students to show up. Instead of closing in on a known drug operation, the police are called to Joan’s house to check on complaints called in by neighbors. Subsequently, Joan’s party saves her father’s partner from an explosion at the stake out location.
The term recreation means to recreate. After a 10 day vacation for the first time in 2 years, I feel like a new person, with a fresh mind set on making a difference in life again. Part of me was caught in the grind of life, losing focus and desire. However, as I start a new week, I am prepared to rise above the challenges I face. Despite the hardships on the horizon, rest and relaxation has provided a rejuvenated soul. When your own life becomes boring, stale or unfulfilled, make sure you seek a little R & R to break through the monotony in life.
Please share how R & R has helped you in the past.
Back in January, days before my sledding accident, I had planned on giving up watching television during Lent. I was going through one of those phases in life where I sought to make history, not watch it happen. Thus, I pressed on to complete the writing on my second movie script, Behind the Devil’s Door. Everything was moving forward as schedule until that one fateful day, January 29th.
My initial rib injury prevented me from sleeping more than an hour or so at a time, leaving me exhausted, unable to receive the rest I needed. Ten days later, the force of a sneeze at work altered the blood flow of my internal bleeding, unknown to me, leading to several weeks of bed rest after a 4 day visit to the hospital. Distraught, I took the advice of a relative who suggested to relax and enjoy the 2014 Winter Olympics which had just begun. Beside listening to music, reading and writing, I didn’t have many options stuck in my downstairs recliner to avoid steps.
I don’t care if you have 1000 channels to observe daily, sooner or later you’ll be bored out of your mind, never fully satisfied by the entertainment on the big screen. As a relatively active person, staying idle at home left me craving something more meaningful in life. After watching the entire first season of Joan of Arcadia, I became restless longing for traces of God in Hollywood, but I was left disappointed. To fill this void, I won’t be satisfied until the vision God has given me for my second script is complete, Philippians 1:6.
What vision or dream has God given you? Please leave a comment.
Mottos like “Go for the Gusto, Just Do It and Seize the Day” have redefined this generation’s thought process. Instead of an act like you’ve been there and staying humble mindset, people now crave face time, searching for 15 seconds of fame. The athlete is striving to make Sports Center, the student Jeopardy and those blessed with an amazing personality hope to get their shot on the next hit reality television show. Just in case, everyone has their cell phone ready, waiting to hear a call or see a text saying, “you’re on television!”
For me, it was just dumb luck, hanging out at a friend’s 21st birthday in a luxury box at Cleveland’s old Municipal Stadium watching a double headers between the Indians and Yankees. In the early 90’s, both teams were awful, scoring a total of 4 runs combined during a doubleheader. After an amazing meal, I watched the end of the first game. Bored by a 1-0 game, I began talking to the girl next to me who brought a bottom of bubbles with her. When I got up to get another drink, I actually knocked her bottle over, spilling most of what was left.
Feeling bad, I grabbed an extra plastic handle, to make as many bubbles as possible before the liquid evaporated. Five minutes later, right field was filled with a stream of bubbles. Cameramen, apparently also bored with the game, located the source of these bubbles, shining their cameras on both of us for about 30 seconds or so. Once I saw the video monitor to my left, I stood up, hamming up this moment in time, raising my hands up as if I had scored a touchdown. Before cell phones were common, I received several phone calls at home later that night from friends across the country asking, “we you at an Indians game?” To my surprise, my accident led to 15 seconds of face time as our picture made Fox Sports, Headline Sports and Sports Center.
As a coach and parent, youth clearly imitate their sports heroes. While some of the plays I have seen at the youth and high school level are impressive, celebrations during a game are unnecessary, distracting from the concept of sportsmanship. I’m not saying applause is bad, but showing off and taunting is out of control. When the Tim Duncan’s of the sports world are overshadowed by flashy players who hog face time, young people need to follow the quiet players who lead by example. Although those who play games with the right attitude may not receive the praise others get, God is watching and will honor those who do the right thing, 1 Corinthians 9:25.
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