"It's really hard to tell the crazy from the well, now that everybody's on the phone"

   

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 all around the world, anywhere you go, everybody’s on the phone,
    driving down the road, something you should know is that
        everybody’s on the phone...

    walking down the street, strangers that you meet,
        they’re talkin’, but they’re all alone,
    it’s really hard to tell the crazy from the well
        now that everybody’s on the phone,

            all over the supermarket, chattin’ in the checkout line,
            I’m so happy to hear her tumor’s benign..
            that was more than I wanted to know,
            why your former boyfriend had to go,
            I have conversation overload, now that everybody’s on the phone..

    standing face to face in a public place,
        there are certain things you would not say,
    but since you’re on the phone, although you’re not alone,
        now you say them anyway,

            so swear like a sailor loud enough to make a grandma frown,
            at least she has a hearing aid to turn down..
            that was more than I wanted to know,
            why your former girlfriend is a ho,
            I have conversation overload, now that everybody’s on the phone..

        your family history, plumbing emergency,
        impending bankruptcy, why you put your dog to sleep,
        your infidelity, recent vasectomy,
        if you’re not telling me, then say it quietly, please!..

    all around the world, everywhere you go,
    everybody’s on the phone,
    driving down the road, better take it slow, now that
    everybody’s on the phone, everybody’s on the phone…

                                                              - copyright 2008 © Brad Yoder

As someone who uses our cell phone mostly when traveling (and seldom gives out our cell number) I love the above piece written by our Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter son Brad.

Reminds me of a little encounter I had one day as I was walking from our local library to my office. A middle-age man was having an animated cell conversation using his new blue tooth phone (the kind that makes it appear that one is either just talking to oneself or to some imaginary friend). 

Apparently feeling a little self conscious about this as he saw me coming, he interrupted his phone conversation to tell me, "I'm really not crazy, I'm just talking with someone on my new phone." 

"Well, I happen to be a psychotherapist,” I said, “so in case you need any of my help, my office is just up the street." 

We both laughed, after which he continued his conversation with his friend, "You won't believe this, but a psychiatrist just came by and kidded me about being crazy!"

Of course he hadn't heard the “psychotherapist” part right (a fancy name for a licensed counselor), but I do often wonder whether we wouldn’t all be saner (to say nothing of safer) if we spent a lot more face-to-face time with our friends and family and did a lot less round-the-clock texting and talking.