Three things that bug me. Some of you are guilty of these things and some of you are bugged by the same things that bug me.

1.)  Cell phones. It is not the phone itself. I have made peace

with cell phones as a whole. What bothers me is that they have become so much more. You can be in a store and pay for purchases with your cell phone. You can surf the web with your cell phone. You can check your e-mails with your cell phone. You can watch TV or movies with your cell phone (that has to be a tough experience). You can play games with your cell phone. You can check on your medical condition with your cell phone. I have even heard (you won’t believe this) that you can actually make real phone calls on your cell phone!

         There are people out there who never use computers, for whatever reason. If we called cell phones by the term that actually defines them, ‘pocket computer,’ their usage would go down. Some people are scared to death of computers but they use their phone in every way they would use a computer, except that they are destroying their vision by looking at a thumbnail size screen instead of something they can actually see.            

         Wednesday I had a doctor’s appointment in Ft. Wayne. I haven’t been to Sam’s Club since the pandemic started, so I left a little early so as to stop in there and get a couple of things I like to get at Sam’s. As I walked up one aisle there was a young lady at the end with one of the little carts they set up to give free samples of crackers or cheese or whatever. Only this little cart had nothing on it. When I got to it, I asked her what she was doing. She said, “Well, sir, step around here and I will show you.” We stepped to the front of the cart and there was a cardboard cutout advertising some kind of contest. “Scan this symbol and you will get the entry form for the contest.” Now, I am thinking that customers don’t do the scans. The employees scan the codes at the end and tell you how much you owe. Then I thought there must be some way to scan it with my Sam’s membership card. It was in my shirt pocket, so I pulled it out and said, “With this?” She gave that little laugh young people have always used that means ‘silly old guy.’ “No, sir. Scan it with your phone!” “Oh, I see. Well, my phone won’t do that.” “Oh, of course it will, silly.” She actually called me ‘silly.’ “Is your phone an i-Phone or an Android?” “Young lady, it won’t work. I don’t have a data plan.” Because of her mask, all I could see of her face were her eyes, but they got as wide as saucers. Total disbelief. Then she turned to someone else and started in on them.

         I have been told that I don’t understand technology. I was programming computers back in the 1970s. I understand tech from the inside out. I just don’t think that a phone should be anything else but a phone. My current cell phone has way more capability than my first computer. But it is only a phone!

         Call me. We will talk.

2.)  I don’t watch TV news. Ever. I listen to the radio and I read

from various news feeds on the internet. And I HATE when someone starts the news on the radio or on a newsfeed with the words “Three things you need to know.” Aghhhh! You don’t know anything about what I need to know! And when someone says “Three things you need to know,” it is their opinion. It is what they want me to know. I don’t need to know that Ellen and her wife are fussing, I don’t need to know that Michelle and Barack have bought an 11 million dollar house on Chesapeake Bay (Think about that. If they really believed in climate change, would they have bought a water front home?), I don’t need to know that Alex and JLo were heard speaking loudly to each other. I don’t need to know what LeBron’s political beliefs are.

         I need to know the weather. If I am going to Ft. Wayne or Indianapolis or Ohio, I need to know the traffic. I need to know what medicine to take and when. I need to know the welfare of our people. It is a sad commentary on humanity when news people believe the silly and inconsequential things are important.

3.)  People who drive up to the speaker at a fast food place and

take five minutes deciding what they want. You are driving along and you decide you are going to McDonalds. You change lanes, turn against traffic, drive into the parking lot, get into line and then slowly inch forward. After all that, you get to the speaker and the worker in McDonalds asks you what you want and then you say “……………………..well, let’s see. What do I want? Hmmmm. Do you have blueberry pie? No? Oh, OK. Didn’t want a pie anyway. OK, I’d like a Whopper and a….wait, what? You’re out of Whoppers? You don’t sell Whoppers? What do you mean Burger King sells Whoppers? Where am I?” People, it is a fast food joint. It is not going to be a gourmet meal. Order something and eat it. You are not going to like it anyway. It is going to be nasty. It is a fast food joint!

         Last week one morning, I whipped into McDonalds for a cup of coffee. For a wonder, there was only one car in front of me and only one person in the car. Great, I thought. In and out. This person made seven different orders. Wanted them all in separate bags. And nothing was written down. He sat there reading the entire menu. I wanted to get out and order for him! And, being the North Manchester McDonalds, it took them forever to put the multiple orders together. Finally, I got to the speaker. I ordered my medium coffee with cream. The girl taking my order seemed relieved. I paid and then sat forever waiting for them to fill the previous order. When I finally got to the window, the young guy in the window thrust the cup of coffee at me, which I took. When I got to the office I took a sip. No cream.

         These things bug me!

         So, what is the point here? What Spiritual heights have we climbed? Actually, none. The virus seems to be surging some. The election is upon us. Everywhere we turn we hear doom and gloom. And I have done you a favor of sorts. For just a few minutes here I have taken your minds off of all the serious and worrisome things in the world and I have given you some nonsense to enjoy. All sorts of uncertainties are ahead of us. But today, for just a short bit of time, you have found out that your pastor has issues with cell phone usage, being told what to think and time wasters in the drive-thru. Today you are no better off for reading this blog. That is true. But come Wednesday morning, the day after the election and amid the ongoing pandemic, we are all still going to be making our way in an uncertain world and still dealing with our own issues. Life will go on.