This tip may not involve police or the law directly, but it is something that has been irritating me.  I ran into two long time friends and we discussed old times.  A third person with my friends is an acquaintance but we have no history together.  The topic of discussion was of a general nature and one that most anyone would politely listen to if not join in.

The third party decided that our group was too boring for them and the whole time he just sat there sending text message on his smart little phone.  I felt like my presence was an intrusion in his life and I should just shut up and move on to bore someone else.

There certainly is a degree of self-importance in me, as I believe there is in most people.  But I have led what I consider an interesting life and can keep people amused and amazed for hours on end by telling about my experiences.  

So was this person’s reaction to me because I am such a bore or was it just plain rude.  Probably both but my readers should render their own judgment.  

The half unit and I discussed this encounter over a Marion’s pizza.  We both grew up in the 1950’s/60’s with black and white televisions and only three channels.  So our pastime was to sit at the kitchen table and listen to our parent’s while they drank coffee and talked with neighbors who would come over for coffee, cigarettes and talk.  

We were not a part of the discussion but we did sit and listen.  In this way we were able to hear the views and opinions of many very different people.  Nancy worked at WPAFB, Gene was an Oakwood Police, and Bud worked at the Cash (NCR).  Shelby worked at a bank and her husband was a Dayton Police.  Pat’s husband owned a Shell Service station and was the mechanic.  

So what did I learn from just listening?  That planes are really amazing but Government Beurocracy was atrocious.  The Cash was a proud place to work but when they changed to electronic a lot of people with decades of loyalty were suddenly left without their promised pensions.  I learned that playing pin ball in a gas station cost a nickel but you could win a dime or a bottle of pop from the pop machine.  And that I wanted to be a police, not knowing someday I would be on year 41 in the field and would be writing newspaper articles for the last 20 years.

There was never a thought about growing up to be a criminal.  My hero’s were always Joe Friday, John Wayne and Gary Cooper who in High Noon was scared to death but still went out to stand up to the three bad guys who just got out of prison and were coming back for revenge on the sheriff who sent the there.

I do not know if the person on his smart little phone was texting his doctor for life or death news, was arranging a get together at a bar after work or playing war dragons.  But I do know the man missed out on becoming a member of a group of real humans interacting.  Maybe I should have texted what we were discussing so he could then feel involved.  Perhaps I was indeed the rude one here.