Off Topic: I’m sick of cell phones. I know they are a necessary evil in this crazy world of ours but I also think they have become an excuse to be rude and ironically out of touch.
I saw this great speaker many years ago – and the title of her presentation was “Be here now.” Her point was, we are so distracted by what we have to do and where we have to be, that we don’t enjoy the here and now. You only get this moment once and if your nose is buried in your phone, you may miss a swan gliding on the water, or an amazing sunset, or the craziest hair you’ve ever seen, or your child’s smile.
So I challenge us all to “Be Here Now” for one day. Today.
Resist checking your emails while having lunch with a friend.
Set your phone to “stun” while listening to a speaker.
Don’t take a call when you’re in church.
Don’t text page “better people” while you’re out with other people.
If you need to talk to your friend while grocery shopping, pull over so I can get the cheese you’re standing in front of.
Oh, and if you need to take your cell phone on a hike, it better be for emergencies only. If I catch you babbling away and ruining my nature moment, I will crush it.
Be here now.
Thank you.
The 2020 Vision of Marketing 
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April 2, 2009 at 6:58 am
Jerry
Amen Denise… I couldn’t agree more. I’m old enough to remember BC (before cell) and BPC with a certain amount of fondness. My first encounter with a computer was a room full of electronics that ate punch cards and I do remember the “brick”. I carry a cell phone but it is always on “stun” and I won’t answer it unless I’m not doing something else… that’s what voice mail is for. I’ve told all my friends to shoot me if they ever see a phone growing out of my ear. I know it’s important to stay in contact but it can be done without everyone in the vicintiy knowing about it. I think the balance between work and life is way out of whack. We don’t have to be receiving non-stop calls and emial to be important!
April 2, 2009 at 9:40 am
Denise Wymore
Thanks Jerry,
I catch myself checking emails sometimes out of peer pressure. I’ll be sitting at a lunch and everyone around me has their heads bowed in prayer – oh no WAIT, they’re checking email!!
April 2, 2009 at 9:41 am
Dwight Johnston
I read the first part of your post, but then I had to twitter. I needed to twitter to everyone that I was reading something. I’ll try to get back to your post later.
April 2, 2009 at 9:43 am
Denise Wymore
Dwight,
LOL!!! That sounds kind of naughty too.. hehehe…
April 3, 2009 at 8:49 am
Jeffry Pilcher
I turn my phone on when I need it, off when I don’t.
April 4, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Laurel McJannet
I’ve been thinking of spending my Friday off next week totally “unplugged.” No Blackberry, no email, no twitter. Should go well with the spa gift card, eh?
April 6, 2009 at 8:13 am
Susan Epperson
Denise,
I wonder if there’s some kind of techno-backlash starting. After reading your recent post, I read one from Paul Williams at MarketingProfs http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2009/04/dont_force_it_roam_before_you.html .
He tells a story from the Creative Whack Pack, that I’ve loved for years.
Funny that I found them both on the same day….while multitasking. There’s a lot of irony in here.
Why do we feel the need or the pressure to do everything at once?