2nd Cup of Coffee for 3-9-26: HOW'S YOUR NOW - and WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?

Dan

•March 9, 2026•6 min read

2nd Cup of Coffee for 3-9-26: HOW'S YOUR NOW - and WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?

2^nd Cup of Coffee for 3/9/26: SO - HOW’S YOUR NOW and WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?

You’ve heard or read the phrase, “being in the moment”. I've an old friend who used to like starting a conversation with, "How's your now?"

With the techsplosion of modern minicomputers we call smartphones, we’ve been living in an unparalleled historical era. Never before have we experienced persons in such close physical proximity while at the same time being everywhere else except ‘HERE’ and ‘NOW’.

In other words, we’ve never before been so not ‘in the moment’ as now. Facebook. X. Instagram. Threads. The list goes on and on… We have the ability to be everywhere yet nowhere at the same time.

I submit that's not healthy in body, mind, or spirit. I'm suggesting we all recognize the importance of blending the finest aspects of "Now" communicative technology with renewing and strengthening true and authentic one-on-one relationships again.

I know you’ve seen it. Reception. Food court at the mall. Church. Bleachers at a softball game. Sitting at ‘that’ intersection, waiting on the light to change. Airport terminal TSA line. Hanging at someone’s house. Anywhere friends gather. It’s rare that a full minute will go by before one or more pull out their handheld mainframe and escape the present.

And let's just agree the doofuses of all ages -- headphones on or earbuds in, heads staring straight down, ambling mindlessly along a sidewalk or worse, across a street -- probably need a mental reset.

All it takes is for the first one to draw their device; instantly everyone’s appears, like weapons magically appearing in favorite 1970's TV Secret Agents’ hands. It’d be amusing if it wasn’t so troubling. I know what you did there. Your mind just flickered to earlier in the day when you saw exactly that happen. You might’ve even been one of the agents . . .

Sadly, being that quick on the draw with E-weapons, being so focused on them makes the viewer completely oblivious to what’s going on around him. Unsafe on multiple levels.

“Now, wait. I have the YouVersion Bible on my phone!” Good one. Okay, let’s reason together. You wear glasses, right? And you’re aware that Facebook reflects off them, right? I’m not being snarky; we’ve all had to seek forgiveness for that one.

There’s nothing wrong with playing the occasional game of Bejeweled or WordSearch. Well, no–not in church. Neither is there a problem in shooting off a quick text message or fielding the occasional phone call. The real problems arise when playing games or texting or yakking on the phone take immediate precedence over the real people already connected with you, or standing or sitting mere feet from you.

There’s an even more disturbing trend. Because of the habit of mentally blocking out the person in front of you in favor of, say, reminiscing about The Great Pork Rind Party of ’88 with your old college chum in Binghamton, New York, you’re reinforcing the steady erosion of the habit of interpersonal communications.

Here’s another one. There’s a real blessing being in long-distance contact with someone special – family member you’ve not seen for years; dear friend from years gone by; someone new you recently met during travel… While conversing, it becomes apparent the other person is carrying on a text/chat conversation with one or two other people somewhere else – without your knowledge.

How did that make you feel? Has multi-messaging become so commonplace it is increasingly odd to establish or even have a one-on-one visit with another friend? And how would you ever trust when called or texted back you’d be ‘on’ with only that one again? Depending on the relationship or who the person was on the other end of the call, you’d either mentally withdraw while finding a plausible reason to click off, or never contact them again.

Regardless of which, we’re losing the ability to converse with other people in person – something for which our grandparents taught us front porches, shade trees, and back fences were designed.

You’re willingly surrendering it. Doubt me? Sit and listen to the fumbling attempts of younger people sitting around you to carry on a lucid conversation. It’s tough to translate Emoji into English.

Know what sitting mere feet from someone fiddling with their device conveys? “You aren’t as important to me as ________.”

Know what response you can expect?

§ friendship drift

§ loss of the relationship

§ professional courtesy vs. personal attachment

This is no diatribe against technology nor the availability, even necessity for instant communications. It’s a plea for some sanity, a voice crying in the crowd standing close enough to touch one another, yet each totally oblivious to anything and anyone around them – their entire self-contained world a centripetal vacuum guaranteed by earbuds and iPhone.

“Okay, but wait. I work hard all day! Being able to get comfortable and just veg with Facebook or a few favorite games helps me unpack all the day’s baggage.”

Sure. I get that. I also know a few minutes easily morphs into hours. The developers of all those nifty ‘Net sites know it, too. All I’m asking is that you consider how your preoccupation with your electronic pal comes across to those close to you – or someone far away connected with you by text or phone.

When you have a closer relationship with your pad or phone than you do with those you say you love, there’s something wrong.

I’ve seen many a Bible clasped in lifeless hands at funerals and celebrations of life. Mementos. Pictures. Rosaries. Favorite toys.

I’ve never yet seen an iPad in those dead hands.