hcwblue:
“ you know, i get that we’re living in a new age and all and that kids, like… understand technology, but nine years old ? with an expensive iphone ten ? ” pulling his own phone out from his pocket, he displayed it to his companion and continued, “ i’m fifty-four and i still haven’t gotten past iphone four… i mean, that could be the problem, but… ” he didn’t know what kind of phone his kid had. he knew his kid had a phone –– they texted fairly regularly –– but, for all he knew, his child could’ve had a nokia.
some random burst of excitement over the conversation came out of nowhere. never had he before known that he had such strong feelings on this topic ! “ no, i totally agree ! like, the whole ‘instant dating’ and stuff is probably really good for shy kids and all, but there’s no being splashed-in-the-face by vodka if you ask the wrong person if you can buy them a drink –– very true story, by the way, and on more than one occasion. ” that being said, he’d become great friends with one of them. “ i wasn’t the smartest kid in school, but i was able to have a research job for a while because i’d learned how to retain the knowledge. i mean, i know it’s not their fault. they didn’t choose to live in an age of technology where even their parents and teachers sometimes look up answers to their questions, but it’s a real shame. ”
Her face gave a “tell me about it” expression that quickly changed to a look of shock when the man announced his age, Laura forgetting the topic of phones for a minute to look him up and down. “ You’re fifty-four?! How is it that you’re my age and you look ten years younger? The world is so damn unfair.” She chuckled, joking around a bit before shaking her head and reverting back to the previous topic. “ I’m no tech genius, so I can’t talk -- I only have an iPhone cause my kids told me about free texting with it but it was a bitch for me to learn how to read e-mails from it. Sure it’s handier than having a computer, but it took a minute and reminded me that I’m out-of-date and style.” Laura laughed.
With a sigh, though the man had a good point and agreed with her, it kinda made Laura sad that they were both talking about it. Laura had tried getting back on the dating scene only to be more confused by it and somehow more lonely than before. “ Well see, that’s the thing -- it takes the sting outta rejection when you’re ignored on a phone but when you just match up with someone you don’t talk to first and jump into a relationship then when you start finding out all the things you would have by talking to them in person on a date you get all sad that you have to end the relationship. And sure you might have caught a slap or two back in the day, but people didn’t have apps and weren’t made to look creepy for trying to talk to a stranger in person. It’s shutting people in more, you know?” Laura could only shake her head at the reality of it. “ Oh, trust me, I’m a teacher so I totally get that. I have so many kids falling asleep in class cause they think they could just look whatever I taught up later and I’m just like hello-- do you realize how much money your parents are paying and how much student loans will come back to bite you in the ass later and you’re sleeping?”
