Monday, December 7, 2015

we've all read...

...stories in the media about how young people get sort of addicted to their technology and communication/electronic devices. How 'unhealthy' the experts believe the amount of time they spend staring at screens and being seduced by the instant part of texting and messages has become. Warning parents about the dangers of letting kids stay up half the night playing video games or using smart phones for inane conversations with their friends.

I am ready to confess that I usually tuck my phone under my pillow most nights before I go to sleep. Because I know it will wake me up at 6:01 a.m. The call will be from the local school district looking for teachers to replace people who will be absent from their assigned classroom jobs on any given weekday. I decline at least 98% of the time. Due to work or other plans already on my calendar. In addition to which I am pretty picky/choose-y about which jobs I would take in the unlikely event I am not otherwise committed.

But this morning: I woke up when my ALARM went off. So startled by the noise, awakened from such a sound sleep - I thought it was the school district. And picked up my phone and said:' hello'. Before I was awake enough to realize it was the alarm, and not the computer generated calling sub-finder looking for replacement teachers. I was obviously unprepared for the alarm, unaware it was set to go off at 5 a.m.. Never suspecting that the startling noise that would awaken me would be the jangling sound of a 'wake up' notice rather than the call from the school district's computer looking for substitutes. You have to talk to the computer for it to respond, and after you say 'hello', it will say your name. Then you can punch 2, to prevent more calls.

 I confess to saying 'hello' to the alarm.

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