Are You a Neurosurgeon?

So, I’m minding my own business eating a very yummy salad at Chik-Fil-A one afternoon in the midst of Christmas shopping, enjoying the day and pleased with the purchases I’d made as I knew they were things that would be enjoyed and appreciated. I was in a good mood.

Sitting diagonally across from me was what appeared to be a young family: a father, mother and a young boy of about three.  What I witnessed made my hair explode – situations like I’m about to describe usually do. I’m surprised I’m not bald.

Both parents where eating – as was the little boy – and at the same time BOTH parents were tapping away on their respective smart phones.  I was amazed at their phone activity so – I’ll admit it – I continued to observe them as I was eating.  Questions popped into my head: Was there some emergency? Were they life-saving physicians – like neurosurgeons? I don’t think that the answer to either of those questions was “yes” as I observed both of them smiling and laughing at their devices and occasionally looking up at each other to share something.

The boy – on several occasions – tried quietly and politely, I must add, to get their attention.  He couldn’t, so involved were his parents in whatever they were doing on their phones. They weren’t smiling and laughing with him. And that is what made my hair explode.  What “message” were they sending to that innocent, impressionable boy?  What could be so important that neither of them could put away their phone to simply enjoy being together as a family? What was that young boy going to learn about his own importance to them, human interaction and – well, let’s just throw it out there – manners?

It’s a good thing that I DO have manners otherwise I would have walked over to the adults and given them an earful on behalf of their child whom they were ignoring. I didn’t – but I really wanted to.