You know, I'm an athlete. But, there was a phase I went through and it involved smoking cigarettes. Honestly I look at people these days who smoke and I am surprised anyone still does it. All of my friends who once smoked have quit. Maybe it is a rite of passage or a phase of self abuse. Let me tell you about my relationship to the world when I smoked...
I was in a secret club, man. We would gather in the smoking car on the train or huddle in the cold around the outside ash tray. Or we would hide in a booth at a bar, back when smoking was still allowed. I even lived in a smoking house once. It was part of the morning ritual. Coffee, smoke, poop. I could adapt to any situation as a smoker. I could excuse myself from uncomfortable situations to smoke. I could meet someone by bumming a cigarette or sharing a light. I learned so much about people - it's like drinking. People wanted to tell their stories around a cigarette.
I did some of my best thinking smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee, doing pro/con analyses of where to live, who to date, and what to do for a living. I made life long friends over cigarettes. I could escape.
I was thinking about this the other day as it relates to smart phones.
It's the same feeling - you're uncomfortable, so you pull out your phone. The only problem is there is no relating to others. There was this guy walking in front of me. He lit a cigarette and pulled out his phone. I walked past him as fast as I could. I'm a reformed smoker - the worst kind. I haven't touched a cigarette in 14 years. Yuck.
In any case, the smart phone is an escape. It's the new cigarette. The new way to cope. Luckily it doesn't have the same health concerns - until they find that 1 out of 10 users develops brain cancer. Ugh. Can you imagine?
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