Sitting Quietly

Do you know what is lost in today’s high-tech world of cell phones and electronic gadgets? – – – Sitting alone, quietly. I seldom see it happening anymore.

Since developing Fibromyalgia I have worked as a freelancer in order to better manage my health and flare-ups.  Freelancing comes with a lot of freedom, but it can also be isolating.  To help combat this I go out and observe people often. It is important to my writing, and it is important to my mental wellbeing. If I find myself stuck on a topic I am writing about, or just completely void of inspiration, I leave the house. I have several coffee shops and lunch spots I like to go, and it never fails that I observe something that inspires me to write.

Today I was sitting quietly with my coffee, enjoying the early fall breeze and watching hummingbirds dart in and around the hibiscus plants – “Ahhh…this is nice!” But I was jolted out of my reverie by a man speaking loudly on his cell phone. No big deal. I needed to get to work anyways. So I opened my bag and tried focusing on the project in front of me, but I couldn’t. I just kept focusing on the unsuspecting man and his cell phone.

I watched as he ended his call and then sat still for a moment. “I know,” I said to him with my eyes and with my smile, “it is a beautiful day, isn’t it!” But before I could catch his eye and smile a conspirator’s smile, he made another phone call. And then he made another, and then another, and another….

Now these could have been very important calls, and this might have been the only time in his day to make them, I don’t know. But I really wanted him to just look up and enjoy his space, and his time, and for just a second breathe. Instead he remained lost in conversation.

It is a pattern I see more and more often. Take a look around the next time you see someone sitting alone in public. I bet they are on their phone, or their laptop, or they have something electronic plugged into their ears. It is like all of our gadgets have become our security blankets. They keep us from being alone even when we are.

But what is so bad about spending a few moments alone, even in a public place? It is a great time to reflect and to observe. The most unexpected things can happen and you begin to see things you might have otherwise overlooked like, the foam on your latte tastes best while sitting in a comfy, oversized chair; there are enough shades of green to paint every house on your block a different color; and more often than not, people hold the door open for each other and thank the other for doing so.

And like the hummingbirds.  

I watched them dancing just beyond his shoulder and I wanted to reach out to him and say, “Stop, just for a second and look at them. Aren’t they wonderful?”