06.12.09 |
So ... I am standing in line at the grocery checkout.
There appears to be a "cute family" just ahead of me: a reasonably attractive Mom-type in her 30's with two daughters ... I am guessing to be around 10 and 12.
Maybe a wee bit younger ... hell, these days I cannot tell if a girl is 13 or 23!
I digress.
The youngest of the two, with a trendy haircut and Gossip Girl clothes, is standing with her back to me ... I-Pod earbuds are in her ears and she is playing with what I assume is a GameBoy. She is oblivious to the world around her.
I hear a melodic ringtone and she reaches up, removes an earbud and answers an expensive looking Blackberry style phone that she pulls out of her pocket.
What the heck!?
The line moves forward but she is stationary because she is distracted while telling the caller that she'll be home in about an hour and to come over then.
Mom looks back and sees her standing there holding back the line. Mom looks up at me standing behind her daughter and smiles apologetically. Mom reaches out, gently pulls Lil' Miss Technology Princess to get her to move forward.
LMTP looks around and then sheepishly turns back and looks at me.
I give her my best "I am patient and enjoying the day" smile.
She looks surprised (I assume she thinks I would be angry and tapping my foot impatiently) ... and she smiles a bright, youthful smile at me.
I am shocked to see that her teeth are yellowed and very crooked.
The older pre-teen sister (who looks like a young rock star) walks up. I notice that she too has an I-Pod and is wearing a cellphone.
She looks back at me, smiles ... and puts her arm over LMTP's shoulder and off they go.
Ditto.
Perhaps I am too practical in my old age.
All that money spent on gadgets and doodads and these children are in need of some serious dental care.
Yep, I am getting old. But at least they smiled.
|