Thoughts about our world on a Sunday afternoon

It’s Sunday on our first truly foggy, gloomy day and after a brisk walk, I sit down to write this column. These columns may become sparse in the weeks ahead as I forge on with “Harriet Chalmers Adams.”

I have to admit that I’m very pleased with how the book is going — faster than I anticipated.

Ever go to a restaurant and see a couple come in with their phones, or perhaps tablets or laptops? Of course, you have. In today’s society, that has become the norm for too many people. Does the person with you say, “Look at that; they aren’t even talking to each other?”

Recently, I read an editorial commenting that “a growing number of Americans say their relationships are being wrecked by a seductive third party.” You guessed it. The electronic devices are that third party.

College freshmen often say they can’t seem to socialize with their peers. Wonder why! The human race is made to have face-to-face connection. Consequently, we crave it. However, increasingly that connection is only on a screen.

Therefore, how fascinating to come upon a two-page article in This Week that talks about two items: how Silicon Valley hooks us and how many working in that industry are concerned about what this technology is doing to IQs.

An engineer who developed many apps is concerned about the psychological effects on people who touch, swipe, or tap their phones constantly during the day. Research shows they do it as many as 2,617 times a day! He was so concerned that when he purchased a new iPhone he instructed his assistant to set up a parental control feature to prevent him from downloading apps!

The greatest concern is that this “addiction” to social media and all it entails could upend democracy. The final note in the article said, “If Facebook, Google and Twitter are chipping away at our ability to control our own minds, could there come a point at which democracy no longer functions?”

That’s one thought for today.

How many of us feel really loved? Love comes in many forms: romantic, family, friendship, brotherly (doing for others), agape. We must never forget that no matter how we are, God (or whatever in your beliefs you call a Supreme Being) loves us unconditionally.

Those words, unconditional love, are fascinating. When I counseled I talked about how we have to love unconditionally — a love without any expectations of love in return. We love because we want to give that love.

One time I submitted to a publisher a book proposal that talked about unconditional love. It was immediately rejected because the publisher said, “There is no such thing as unconditional love.” In other words you can only love if that person loves you back, if that person makes space for you.

For me, that’s not the way love is. Love is like that of God for us. He loves us and wants the best for us — all unconditionally. The person who loves like that is well balanced in his or her life — and probably is quite peaceful.

Another thought for the day — and all because of a Sunday sermon!

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Talking about love — I met a beautiful lady at my Galt WalMart. She’s one of the associates who regularly checks me out (I live two blocks from the store, so I walk). We talk and I feel she enjoys all her customers no matter how curt they may be.

Bridgette Young, who has worked at the store for two years, told me she is a “people person.” Then she went on to tell about her “side” job that she’d love to make into a full time one. Because she cares so much about people she does little jobs for the senior citizens she meets. On her days off she takes them on errands — to the doctor and shopping. She even makes meals for them.

Here’s love in action with a woman who walks the walk. Think of the hundreds more people just like Bridgette. There’s far more good people, caring people, loving people than others. We just have to look around a little to find them.

A couple of witticisms from Will Rogers:

“Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.”

“When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of algebra.”

“Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it’s called golf.”

Have a great rest of January. And where are those columns you wanted to send me?