Thoughts from the can: forget the phone

This seat is warm. Ew.

While trying to think of what to write from the can, I had the realization that I didn’t have my phone on me. How ever will I be able to occupy myself for the next 10 minutes?

Let’s be honest – I think I can accurately say that a majority of us bring our phones to the loo, whether we admit it or not. Some of us go so far as to leave and go grab it once we realize we don’t have it before we begin our bathroom ritual.

Why?

I think this stretches farther than the bathroom. There’s a social stigma associated with going to Barone Main Dining Room solo. If you end up in the terrifying situation of grabbing grub alone, the inherent reaction is to go on your phone for the entirety of the meal, replacing the absence of social with cyber.

Why?

I think this speaks to why I wasn’t able to think of a topic to rant about from the can. We don’t give ourselves the chance to let our minds wander.

Our generation has replaced the beauty of internal dialogue with the absorption of the collective shallow sentiments of the online community. Our increasing dependence on Twitter and the like to fill the void of silence has caused our attention spans and creative drive to deteriorate significantly.

And we wonder why pop culture, political dialogue and art have gone down the drain (for the most part).

So next time you’re on the way to the can and realize you don’t have your phone, leave it. If you find yourself alone in Barone, enjoy the solitude. Contemplate what is going in your life and in the world – you never know what conclusions you could arrive at.