Day 20: Quality Time

Sitting in an empty church parking lot today, a favorite stop for me when on the road to chart, make a call, or eat a quick meal, I heard a shocking statement on the radio.

The DJ was listing things that are no longer considered acceptable today.  Included in that list was calling someone without texting first, to ensure they weren't busy, and dropping by unannounced.  I posted about it on social media and nearly everyone agreed that pop-up visits were no fun.  I understand why, as I've had my share of the "flight of the bumblebee" zoom through the house to straighten up and put on a bra for unexpected company.  Yet it made me a little sad for the culture in which we now live.

Many years ago, when Tim and I first started dating, I fondly remember riding around just to visit friends.  Cell phones weren't around so we rarely called beforehand.  It was just a random drop-by, as someone would come to mind or we hadn't seen them in awhile.  Often I'd bring chocolate chip cookies and wherever we ended up would share snacks and drinks.  Or we'd play cards, watch tv, and even stranger simply sit and talk.  (The cookies may seem random but they were my first favorite recipe of Tim's and I loved both making and sharing them with others.)

When we were first married, we lived in an apartment complex, so it was common for neighbors to drop by, knock to borrow a cup of sugar, or to swap out mail.  And the first house we lived in was our hometown in the "circle," where it was normal to expect guests for no reason at all.

Again, there was limited technology, so perhaps that is why people spent so much time together.  I just find it ironic that in an age where we are instantly connected to others, we've never been more disconnected.  It has me longing for front porch sitting, recipe swapping, and sharing stories.

The walk down memory lane wasn't enough to entice me to venture out however as habitually once home I quickly changed into comfy pjs and settled into cooking dinner for Tim and me.  But we did spend a quiet evening of quality time together, which is my love language.  And it was nice reminiscing about a slower, simpler way of life.  What a joy it was to grow up back then.