Surrounded But Alone

 So, I am sitting here at the St Louis airport watching all the people rushing around and I still have almost two hours to wait. I have noticed something and yes it is kind of funny that I am writing a blog talking about the fact that everyone here is on a phone or computer. I remember when you would actually talk to people. Now it seems that everyone is in their own little world. No one bothers to get to know each other or even looks up from their devices to engage the person that is sitting just inches from you. Hell, if I am close enough to smell your breath then the least you can do is smile at me.

I like to people watch and if I catch someone’s eye when they do glance up it seems like I am creepy by the look they give me.  Even if I am smile at them and pretend that I like them they are a little freaked out.  There are maybe 50 or 60 people sitting around me all of them are so consumed by their devices that they are not even noticing that their planes are boarding and then they are rushing to get on the plane since they waited till the last minute.

Now, I check my phone for calls and text but really I don’t usually do much playing on Facebook or twitter or whatever other social media is hot right now. I will admit I posted a few pictures this time.  I take pictures regularly but I rarely do I post them unless there is something going on. This time lots of people wanted to know where I was so I tried to keep them abreast of my adventure.

Sitting in airports is still new to me therefore I am still excited to look around. Since I travel by myself I want to share my excitement with the people around me and to find out all the little tricks to travel. But I am afraid to bother someone so here I sit a bit bored.

I can remember traveling as a kid, with my family, in the grocery getter, otherwise known as a stationwagon.  We would pile in and stop for picnic lunches at a park or just in the woods near whatever road we were on.  Those are some of my favorite memories. Just stopping somewhere and getting out and talking to strangers who happened to be around. They always made the trip more interesting. They would tell us about their town and anything that might be in the vicinity that we might find fun. We learned about their lives and everyone shared a fond memory of their own. Conversations like these with people made us all feel like we were connected if even for a minute with someone else in the world.

I miss learning about others and what makes them tick because everyone is wrapped up in their own lives.  All of the gadgets that we all carry help isolate us when they were originally intend to bring the world closer together.  So the next time you are sitting around an airport or a train station put down your devices and look around and I bet you can find someone to connect with if even for a moment.

Sinfully Sarcastic,

Shmuttmeister