a practical use for the smart phone (and appreciating Rocca’s Market)

The public radio program Science Friday recently interviewed Sherry Turkle, the author of the book Reclaiming Conversation. The book discusses what we all know: that smart phones and social media are keeping us from talking to each other.

I like the fact that my brother is fairly strict about the rule that smart phones are to be put away when the family gets together for breakfast on Saturday, except to share the occasional photograph. We actually talk. What a concept.

I have noticed recently, though, that there is one time the smart phone comes in handy. That is when you are standing in line and the transaction in front of you is taking a long time. Maybe the person has a leaky milk carton that needs to be replaced, or perhaps they have a return. I can look down at my smart phone and scroll through Facebook to indicate that I am not impatient or irritated.

Our formerly local Rocca’s Market, up the road from our old home in Gilroy, put up this sign recently and then posted it to Facebook, asking customers what they thought. The majority of comments were very supportive.

Speaking of Rocca’s, when Terry read my blog last week about our grocery store experience down here, she quickly pointed out that I failed to mention Rocca’s when listing the grocery stores we shopped at in the Bay Area. I can’t imagine how I forgot them. Well, yes I can. I was blocking it out. Rocca’s was our small, locally-owned market with a full-service meat counter and a great wine selection where the owners and the meat department manager knew both Terry and me by name. There is nothing like that down here. We miss them.

Ah, but we’re here in Hemet now, and what I need to do is to look ahead and move forward. There is much to be done.

So onward.