tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612613253823866619.post2486920061413712982..comments2013-10-06T02:01:30.156-04:00Comments on GrowHealChange: A State of DisconnectionAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18217121751336791421noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612613253823866619.post-67111069969639495732012-08-30T02:36:51.714-04:002012-08-30T02:36:51.714-04:00I respectfully have to disagree with your assessme...I respectfully have to disagree with your assessment of what the author is communicating here. I live in a large city as well and find myself in dating situations only to be disheartened by the distractions of my dating partners because of their cell phones. While you can't argue that we live in a society which has become so dependent upon technology, I think it is very debatable whether or not younger generations still make efforts to master the art of simply talking to one-another or even enjoying each other at the beach. Communication is sort of central to all relationships, and as technology becomes larger parts of our lives, some things suffer unfortunately. I believe that for someone like you and me to make a comment about what someone else should or shouldn't do may come across as being judgmental, but a person who is in the psychotherapy profession and devotes her time to helping others in their relationships is certainly justified in making every point that the author made, in my opinion. For someone to suggest the author is judgmental and self-righteous based on professional opinion and experience may be going a bit far in my mind, and I agree with everything she said and miss the days of people simply enjoying the people they are with.Chadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17470227428487091270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612613253823866619.post-66085017024638807662012-07-19T10:42:58.681-04:002012-07-19T10:42:58.681-04:00This last comment is interesting to me. . . while ...This last comment is interesting to me. . . while I embrace an alternate point of view, I have difficulty with the accusation that my musings reek of judgmental self-righteousness. By hurling such terms after my personal thoughts and opinions, isn't this author being a bit of a pot calling the kettle black? <br /><br />This comment leaves me wishing for a dialogue where we can agree to disagree and share our own opinions without tearing down each other's. This blog is for open sharing and exploring together, not for arguing over what's right and what's wrong, or for putting one another down for having an experience that is different from our own. <br /><br />Let's work together on this forum toward peaceful interaction and respectful dialogue.Kathryn Hawkins Truaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05173137541080420880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612613253823866619.post-62665064878712038542012-07-19T10:11:21.265-04:002012-07-19T10:11:21.265-04:00I would like to offer an alternate view and sugges...I would like to offer an alternate view and suggest that, while we can't help but have opinions about the behavior of others, we have no right to decide what is right for everyone else or make assumptions about their motives from superficial observation. Statements like "Shouldn't we create some internal boundaries for ourselves in order to live more mindful and connected lives," or "How impersonal we have become!" reek of judgmental self-righteousness. Every generation brings something new for critics to wring their hands about, whether it's Elvis Presley, MTV, or tattoos, and there probably are more things to come that we haven't even imagined. I believe only I am in a position to determine whether the person sitting across from me is right for me. Whether that person is important to me is not necessarily determined by whether I'm gazing into his eyes or doing a crossword puzzle or even checking Facebook. If the blogger is too enchanted with being with the love of her life by the Gulf of Mexico to think of her cell phone, why is she thinking about anybody else's cell phones, let alone fantasizing about ripping them out of their owners' hands? After over 36 years of marriage, my husband & I have had plenty of conversation and mutual enjoyment and intimacy and are perfectly able to decide for ourselves if our lives are mindful enough. Our college-age tech-savvy grandsons are funny, thoughtful and compassionate, and far from impersonal, despite their tendency to text at odd moments. I believe that thing we learned in graduate school about client self-determination could be applied to the world at large. I believe our job in the world is to learn to be aware of and manage our own behavior. That's hard enough!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612613253823866619.post-36168857455295992932012-07-17T09:44:07.176-04:002012-07-17T09:44:07.176-04:00It's a cultural phenomenon and a compulsive be...It's a cultural phenomenon and a compulsive behavior we as a culture have developed... When I lead my weekend retreats for women it is very challenging to have the women agree to turn off and put away their phones and ipads during the weekend. Social media and texting has become the new means of connection among adolescents as well. It's not uncommon in my house to see all three of my teenage children and their friends all in one room looking down at their phones reading and/or typing.... I'm not sure what is to be done about it rather just bring awareness...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09772158770019517767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612613253823866619.post-42328907565409388842012-07-11T22:25:43.151-04:002012-07-11T22:25:43.151-04:00I am with you 100%. Technology has brought us clo...I am with you 100%. Technology has brought us closer to each other (FaceTime with my daughter in London warms my heart) and separated us if we allow it to. What can be more important than the person sitting across the table from you? AND, if it is so, perhaps you are sitting in the wrong place.<br />I feel it is disrespectful and disheartening when someone checks their phone a half dozen times while conversing. We have lost our manners somewhere along the way!<br /><br />Thanks for speaking up- I wish more people felt the way you do. If my phone rings, I check it to be sure it's not a pressing matter and apologize to whoever I am with for the interruption. How impersonal we have become!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com