Dear the couple sitting over on that table,
Firstly, I want to extend my sincere apologies that you feel the need to pull out your mobile phones the second you sat down. I am assuming you are a tourist here in Bali, like me, in one of the most recommended and hot pressed restaurants in town. Or you may be living here as locals, I am not really sure. Either way, I feel sad for you that you are both interacting with your mobile phones as opposed to each other.
While looking at your phones, and playing games (not sure if you both are, I can only see one screen), you are not looking at each other. You are not looking into the soul of your partner and engaging with each other on an intimate level.
You are not talking.
You are using your brain power on technology stimulation as opposed to couple stimulation.
You are not noticing each other.
You are not even admiring the fantastic scenery and decor around you.
Maybe you have nothing to say to each other, which is totally fine {believe me, I too have experienced this with my husband, although rarely}, why not hold hands and not your phone.
Maybe you have connected with each other all day and done the whole sight-seeing tourist thing while holding hands, and now that you have a moment to sit down and relax, you are catching up on emails, messages or trying to beat your best score on that game you are playing.
Or maybe this is the time that you catch up on Facebook, Twitter and all those other social channels that you may be connected to.
Hey, I get it! I mean, I am guilty for pulling out my phone at dinner to check the footy scores, or check if I have any messages (although most of the time I do this to check a babysitter has’t messaged me telling me that my child is screaming as opposed to sleeping).
But as I sit with my mother at a table next to you, I say this:
Thankyou. Thankyou for showing me what I don’t want to be when sitting around a dinner table. Thankyou for showing me what disengagement actually looks like. I am not judging you, I don’t know you, yet I feel sad that you take the time to come to this amazing five-star rated restaurant (which you have probably reviewed a hundred times over like me) and only look at your phone. You don’t have to talk to each other all the time, certainly not. You don’t even have to stare at each other’s faces your whole meal… that is kind of corny, ha!
But in this chaotic, busy, intense and often fast world, these are the moments we need to embrace and appreciate and acknowledge that you can actually come to a restaurant together. At least I think so.
I mean, Y’know, it is hard to find those ‘time out’ moments.
As long as you are happy in what you two are, have become and continue to be, I can only wish you the best. Life is short and precious. Embrace it. Don’t worry about that game, or Facebook, or anything else. Just be!
Linking up with Essentially Jess
