Communication Devices May Not Be So Intelligent

What are “smart phones”?

Obviously, they’re better than dumb phones. Advertising abounds for “smart phones” but there is never explanation of how come they are so brilliant. The Christmas homily was even tied to those intelligent communication devices.

We’ve asked a number of folks what “smart phones” really are, but none in our genre gave us a definition we could comprehend. Our third grade grandson didn’t even know, and he’s up on most modern gadgets.

Undoubtedly, we should have a “smart phone” to sharpen us up a bit. But, as a conservative, naïve cowboy, we aren’t likely to get one until we know more. We’re still comfortable with the dial phone we got 40 years ago.

As we’ve admitted, we have a cell phone after being forced to get one for our job. Guilt is still there for giving in to the demand, but it seems like most people use them these days. While we can’t operate ours too easily, it’s simpler than the kind others have.

An e-mail we received poked fun at dial phones, insinuating they were antiques. That agitated us, because as a youth when we picked up the receiver, the operator requested “Number please?” and we’d respond “540” to call Aunt Luvella. Aunt Marie still had a crank phone then, and her “ring” was “two longs and a short.”

Push button phones were new fangled in the’70s, and a co-worker smirked that we’d never move up to his class having a phone of that caliber. We do, and most everybody else does, except those who still have dials or none.

There are people, like our Amish horse-owner acquaintances, who don’t have telephones nor feel the need for one. Smoke signals were an original long distance communiqué method followed by telegraph.

Although, we never sent a telegram, that was a common message system, and we received well wishes from college department heads before major judging contests. Truthfully, our life leans on telephones and computers, but we could do without.

Essential to remember Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Furthermore to follow James 1:22: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

+++ALLELUIA+++

V–2–1-9-11