Ages ago we didn’t have a cell phone, smart phone, Ipad, Ipod, Facebook, Myspace, Your space, Twitter, 4 square, text messages and who knows what else is waiting to be introduced as one more distraction to life. I admit I have succumbed to some of the technology but it is with certain reluctance and surrender to the need for “real time” business correspondence. The occasional Face book post or response is an indulgence that I still am not sure really is worth the time, but it has become a good form of entertainment to read some of the posts from “friends” that feel it necessary to let us all know that they just got home, checked in at the super market or that they just took a dump! Yes there is an enormous amount of diarrhea being spewed by people who clearly have a lot of time on their hands and have now become armed with a voice and vehicle to satisfy pent-up feelings of self-importance.
This concept of social networking is quickly transforming an entire society and basic cultural premise’s, all as a well intentioned effort to improve our way of life.. Not necessarily a bad thing to accomplish, and networking is clearly here to stay, but the irony is that it’s methodology and our obsession with this new means of communication is rapidly creating a generation of unsocial drones.
As I stood in the kitchen several days ago, watching the dining room as always; constantly checking on how the customers are doing, is the waitstaff in the right place doing the right job?, and generally to check the vibe of the restaurant and see if the people are happy. We weren’t especially busy yet, and there were 3 couples sitting along the banquets, all of them with their faces down pecking away at smartphones, clearly ignoring their dinner dates. It is possible that they all had very important reasons for dedicating the majority of their dining experience to texting, Facebooking or checking emails?………….my guess is that they are just becoming desensitized to the concept of being social in the traditional sense of the term.
I laughed at the latest TV commercial where the girl breaks up with her boyfriend from across the table by texting him, but the sad part it that it has become reality. We are losing the part , and ART of verbal one on one communication that makes us real people. As great as all this technology is, there is a big downside. Watching children at the tables with their parents who have armed them with their own slick games and devices as a way to keep them occupied and quiet, (which I welcome for selfish reasons and the benefit of our other customers), these kids are missing out on the opportunity to actually learn how to communicate and actually be social.
The horse is WAY out of the barn and I will be relegated to watching the evolution of our de-evolution. The only thing I can ask our customers to do, is to shut them off and just put the damn things in your pocket for 2 hours while you enjoy some food, drink and company. I have considered banning the use of cell phones and all the other gadgets, but I fear I would be branded as Unsocial!!
Oh well, when the day comes that they can only text their food orders because they cant actually speak… I quit!
Gibson Guitars and The Rock Hall Museum created a projected called Cleveland Rocks. They selected 25 artists to design a guitar that will be displayed at the Rock Hall and auctioned off at a gala dinner fundraiser on December 3rd. Interestingly, I was selected as one of the 25 artists, and recieved a brand new Les Paul to rip apart and re-design. Of course I leaned to the food inspiration and created what I named CROP ROOTS. Took a month to finish it, striping, hand carving and laminating. The final work is pretty cool, and Donnie used it at our last Cream of The Crop night and it sounded KILLA!
It has taken a week to catch a breath after the Cleveland Food Rocks BBQ, but here it is!
