You are driving on the highway on a busy Friday evening.  The iPhone 'ping' beckons you to find out who has sent you a message.  Must be Mary; it has to be Mary.  But where is that phone?  Screeeech.....hey, are you blind?  Sorry!  O God!  I could have died.  But where is my phone?  Oh no...I dropped it.  There it is!  Who is trying to 'ping' me?  Oh no....not Harry; I thought it was Mary.  And what's the important message for which you have risked life and limb?  'Hey!'

We have a great number of electronic gadgets that are supposed to enrich life and give us a peace of mind.  Ironically, the very same gadgets are ruining our peace of mind.  The cell phone is meant for our convenience, but it can become a major inconvenience.  Every time it rings, we react like Pavlov's dog.

You are meeting some friends in a restaurant to relax and have a good time.  Finally, you can put work away and have peace and quiet.  But for how long?  Every few seconds someone's phone in the restaurant is ringing.  Instinctively, everyone reaches for their phone.  Multiple conversations are taking place simultaneously.  It is a Tower of Babel.  Finally, the meal arrives.  The conversation at your table is good; the food is good; the ambience is great.  But you have to excuse yourself.  An important call!  Soon afterwards, a friend of yours excuses himself.  Pretty soon, everyone is talking.  It's just that they are not talking to one another.  They are all talking on the phone with someone else.

Take a break from your gadgets.  You have earned the right to separate yourself from your iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iBook.   Say it along with me, "I can live without these gadgets for a little while."  Now, put on some relaxing music and close your eyes.

What's that?  It's on your iPod?

Yours,
Didi Ji