The great state of Tex-afornia

So, last week I am driving home from a long day of class and I see a father and daughter behind me. The wierd thing was that the daughter was sitting shotgun with her iPod earbuds in. Now, I watched them for what must have been a good ten minutes. They didn't say one word to each other. This seems to be a great visual of what is going on in the lives of my students. I wondered what brought the pair to that point. Did they have a fight earlier? Had the father developed a habit of ignoring his daughter, prompting her to take the next step to tune him out? Did the daughter fail to appreciate her dad? I can't tell for certain, but I have seen this played out in many parent/child relationships. In many relationships it seems that either one or both of them is tuning the other out. Society is keying in on this. Cell phones, the internet, mp3 players, video games, talk radio, satellite TV...these are all means of creating enough distraction in our lives to ignore those around us while still feeling like were are involved. Isn't it convenient to not listen, not care, not acknowledge those around us? Are we breeding a society of unconcerned people who are unwilling or unable to make a meaningful connection with other people?

Christ calls us to engage society, family, and one another with persistence and patience. I refuse to retreat into technology and convenience. I won't allow being "plugged in" to interfere with my ability to listen or care. Oh, how I wish my desires and holiness were as fervent as my words. Lord, help me. Save me from this corrupt generation! Save me from myself!

posted by Kevin @ 5:21 PM