lately. On campus it feels like eye contact is sinful and a smile may just be pure adultry. I do not know when this thought began to creep into our society, but I hate it. Not only do I hate it, but as Christians, aren't we supposed to be showing love to our world? If we can't even smile at other Christians on a Christian campus, how the heck are we going to make it in the real world?
story time:
So, I am sure you are thinking, "Why are you getting in a tizzy about something so insignificant?" I know that human trafficking is our normal topic, but I feel like this issue needs addressed and it needs addressed fast.
For all you IWUers, this will probably make more sense, but I also expect good imaginations out of you others who don't reside in my current bubble.
Let me set the scene:
I am walking back to Martin (my dorm room) today after an exhausting test. I am walking down a fairly small sidewalk right next to old college church. You know the one? Anyway, I see a boy coming, a far way off, and I decide that I am going to smile at him. Not because I want to marry him (SHOCKER right?!? I know this may be a current misconception, that somehow an exchange of smiles between different genders means that a kind of covenantal relationship is being made, but for whatever reason, I think this concept is ridiculous).
Back to the story: so as he is closely approaching, and I am ready to get my smile on, you know what he does???
.................
he sticks his left hand in his pocket and rummages around, only to find his....cellphone. Yes. his cellphone.
Now you could be thinking, "well... maybe he just got a text!" or "he may need to call someone! leave him alone!" but do you honestly think that while I was walking past, at that precise moment, he got a text or a phone call? that is probably 1 in a million chance.
and, you haven't heard the rest of the story. Just as he is looking at his cellphone (to avoid eye contact with me), he places it right back in his pocket.... WITHOUT texting, WITHOUT calling.
and yeah, maybe he needed to check the time, but I feel like there is more to this story that applies to us than meets the eye.
I rarely know where my cellphone is and people get truly upset with me! Like I am no longer their friend because, oops, I am sorry, I am actually hanging out with friends that are probably a bit more important than you at the moment. "Oh my gosh! I cannot believe she just said that!" Yeah, guys, I am sorry, but I love my friends and I love hanging out with them. I usually leave my phone somewhere else so I know I won't be bothered.
Have you ever been around someone who is there in front of you, but they are texting the whole time you are hanging out and at the end of the "meeting time", you never really felt like the person was actually listening to you? It is probably because they aren't. Do you feel completely worthless like I do when those meetings are over?
Calling out! Who wants to rewind and freeze? I do. I want to show my friends I truly care about them. I want to feel completely fine if my phone isn't in my hand at every moment. I want to know that my friendships will still exist, even if my texts do not get back to them for a few hours.
Cellphones aren't bad, but they are getting there. Man up and say you have a problem. Let us get back to truly caring about people and showing love.
Reach for a smile.
Instead of your phone.
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