Lost Opportunities

A few weeks ago while driving home from work, I looked into the car stopped next to me during a red light. I saw two young children in the back seat of a mid-sized sedan being entertained by the tiny monitors attached to the headrest of the seat in front of them. Their mother in the driver seat was (presumably) entertaining herself by chatting on her cell phone. My mind wandered to the times I was driving around town with my boys when they were young. Cell phones and personal DVD players were not common then. Had they been, I'm sure I would have taken advantage of them also. However, as I watched the mother and her young children I was glad that they were not available to me. The reason is that my boys and I have many happy memories of times we were "stuck" in traffic. We played "I spy" and the "ABC" game. If you haven't played the ABC game this is how it goes. The challenge is to find every letter of the alphabet, in order, used in a word on a sign during the length of the car ride. It was great fun and a wonderful way to reinforce their 'ABC's' and new reading skills. We also had a cassette tape of Disney travel songs to which we sang out our little hearts! "I've got a brand new pair of roller skates...." We LOVED that one and "take me home, country roads, to the place I belong, West Virginia..." We told stories, and laughed and giggled. I treasure those memories. So, watching that family, I felt regret for them that they are missing out on those opportunities to make memories. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not judging that mother for taking advantage of the technology available to her but I am grateful that it wasn't there for me. I wouldn't trade those memories for any cell phone conversation!