I cannot believe how much traffic “Dear Mom On The iPhone” is getting.
Love it when that happens, but I hate what comes with it:
Snarky comments.
I suppose that’s the name of the game in Blogging, we are to have tough skin, yet expose our tender hearts to the world. It’s the hardest part of our job description.
I want to officially respond once and for all:
That post was written as a HYPOTHETICAL…..
There was no “Mom in the park”, I woke up with a burden to write, and write I did. My job was to obey, not over think, or cast judgement.
I know and understand that there are extenuating circumstances that make situations like a mom on her phone in the park necessary. I get it, I do! But guess what, there ARE moms in the park, picking up from preschool, families at a restaurant; ALL missing opportunities to invest face to face time in each other, because they are on the phone for fun, or out of habit!
I will say that I am sorry if my presentation offended you. The writer in me loved the idea of a letter form, just like the letter I wrote to the 21 year old me, or how about the Dear Dad On The Recliner post RIGHT before iPhone mom….the one no one went into a tizzy over.
However, the heart of the message is based on a hard truth, one I will not apologize for pointing out.
We, as a society, are easily distracted. Especially now that the www. can go with us. Suddenly, emails to respond to, are at our fingertips, not waiting for us at the office.
Let it be known, that I am not looking down my nose at said Mom in the Park, and judging her without knowing her circumstances. You are right, she MIGHT have a deadline, it MIGHT be her only choice, the list of choices of WHY she needs to be on her phone go on and on.
Fine. Fair enough. I agree, it needs to happen sometimes.
But I will tell you this, as a blogger, we paint in BROAD strokes. If we had to stop and explain all sides of the situation, or visit all possible scenarios, we’d never get anything accomplished in our posts. If that post made you mad or feel something, GOOD. Go with that conviction. Do something about it.
I don’t have an iPhone, but I DO have a computer. I do have a Facebook account. I do sit down and have to edit photo sessions, and I will be the FIRST to admit, that I am CONSTANTLY fighting the “Distraction Factor” they offer. In that post, I am talking to all of us as moms! As dads! As family units! Time to re-focus, re-prioritize! Isn’t it our job to encourage and lift each other up?
Isn’t it also our jobs to point out hard truths?
Encouraging each other to take a hard look at how we spend our time. Encouraging each other to put media aside and get down on the floor and play with our kids, stare into the eyes of our spouses and have a real conversation, laugh as a family around a board game.
To sit around the dinner table and TALK about the day, not silently chew while we stare at the TV or down at our individual phones.
To get off our cell phones before we check out at the store, so we can be polite and friendly to those we come in contact with.
I can be sorry for coming across wrong, but cannot apologize for the intent in which I wrote it. Against these various forms of media, and how easily satan uses those distractions to steal, kill and destroy what we hold dear to us.
Dear Mom On The iPhone stands as is.
I won’t back down from that part of it, I can’t. It’s too important.
~T
4 little Fergusons 