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I went to the dentist 3 times in the past week, and I am now cavity free and aware that the "hole" I thought I had on the surface of one of my molars is actually a small chip (yeah, I grind and clench my teeth and have an attractive mouth guard I haven't worn in about 2 years. I think I'll start wearing it now. There's nothing as sexy as looking like a football player in bed...).

Does anyone else get irritated by technology sometimes? I didn't get a cell phone until after my mission (i.e. I was almost 23) and didn't get an iPod until I was 26 (I'm not saying I'm an example to follow, just showing that I was a bit slow to jump on the bandwagon. I'm not all that fond of music, so I didn't see the draw on an iPod. Then I discovered I could listen to books on an iPod, and suddenly a whole new realm of opportunity opened up! That's why I ended up getting one). Anyways, I remember seeing everyone walk around with headphones in their ears at BYU and thinking how dumb it was. It seemed to me that everyone went around in their own little universe and didn't socialize with anyone around them. For instance, one day before class I was sitting next to some girl I didn't know waiting for the professor to start teaching. She had her hair down, so I didn't notice she was listening to her iPod. I leaned over and made some comment, basically opening up conversation. She looked over at me and pulled one headphone out and said, "What?" I was a little irritated/embarrassed as I repeated my comment. She made some replay back and a few seconds went by before I said something else to her. "What?" she said again as she pulled the headphones back out of her ear (apparently I hadn't noticed that she'd put them back in). 'Never mind' I replied back and gave up attempting conversation with this girl. She was obviously really into...whatever. I mean, maybe it's good. Maybe collectively gossiping is down because of technology...nah. I forgot texting (of which I rarely am a part because I don't have a texting plan).

So are we creating a generations of kids who exist in their own little realm of whatever playlist they are on while texting one another rather than person to person talk? Oh, there's also facebook, twitter, myspace, blogs and whatever realms of social networking I'm not aware of. I just think all this technology, while keeping the world well connected, also isolates people. How much good grammar is learned through practicing texting? 'What r u doing 2day?' Also, what about learning interpersonal skills? It's important to learn how to interact with people around you. How to begin and end conversations, how to appropriately make requests, feel out situations, how to make friends, ask people out, propose one day.... If you don't ever learn how to interact person to person, what is a person going to do...text a marriage proposal. Now that's romantic. Or what about the future missionaries. They need those skills too.

Also, I had a professor at BYU talk about technology and how through technology kids are becoming a lot more promiscuous. It's a lot easier to text something that a kid would never dare say in person, be in suggestive or aggressive.

Let me be clear that I love technology. I love blogging and reading other's blogs. I occasionally dapper in facebook. I have a twitter account I created then never touched. And I love listening to books on my iPod. I just think too much of a good thing is bad. I noticed when I'd really get into a book on my iPod that Mr. N tended to get irritated. I was always careful to turn it off when he came into a room, but he didn't know I'd turned it off and really, walking into a room with someone who has earphones in doesn't exactly say I'm open to conversation. It's isolating. I've started using my iPod a lot less, and it's been nice. Actually, if the truth be told my iPod got lost last December, and in a small way it's been a relief because it's forced me to use an iPod less. (My mom has one, so I use hers a bit...for instance on my morning run). The iPod is great for passing time while exercising. It's distracting. But, this past 2 weeks my mom went to stay with her parents in Washington so I was without an iPod on my morning runs for that period of time. Honestly it was nice. I felt like I could focus more on the actual effort of exercising and extend myself more, along with listening to the sounds of nature. One morning I remember jogging and listening to the birds singing and looking at the green trees and the blue sky. Then I thought of the words of the hymn 'For the Beauty of the Earth' and it was just very nice. It was spiritual.

Technology is great, I just thing we need to allow sufficient quiet time to be away from it to allow interaction with those around us and to also allow the spirit to whisper to us too. Promptings from the spirit don't often come with introduction, they just come. If we are busy doing something else, or have our ears full of whatever song or book, we are going to miss it. And in that way, it takes it's toll.

Anyways, just a thought.