765th Friday Blog Roundup
Watching videos without headphones on your phone in a waiting room… just no. We’re all adults. We know this isn’t okay. Except that it happened not once but twice in the same day in two separate waiting rooms.
I woke up one morning with hives, snapped a picture, and emailed it to my doctor, asking if I should do something about it. I not-so-secretly hoped that she would write back and say, “Nah, take a Benadryl. It’s all good.” Instead her nurse wrote that I should be seen that day.
So I went down to the doctor’s office where there was first a middle-aged man watching sports and news videos on his phone at the loudest volume. Everyone was staring at him, but he just took that as a sign to let all of us know how much he was enjoying the videos.
Then, after the appointment, I needed to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. I had to wait for it to be filled and the only empty chair was across from a woman who was FaceTiming her sister. Again, video and responses both at top volume.
There were signs in both waiting rooms asking people not to use their mobile phone at all, but, clearly, that isn’t enforced.
It made me want to never leave home.
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Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.
Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.
As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.
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And now the blogs…
But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:
- None… sniff…
Okay, now my choices this week.
Inconceivable writes about being in the space where she knows the active part of family building is finished, but she’s still waiting for the results of their final cycle. She writes, “It seems a bit fitting that in the same month I got the PCOS diagnosis back in 2012, we are wrapping up the last loose ends in 2019. Same sunshine, same crisp air, same bright trees and dusty corn fields.” I love the quote at the end of the post. Send her good thoughts.
The Uterus Monologues asks the eternal question: “But why?” She explains, “This, essentially, is what happens to your brain after you lose a baby. It short-circuits to six-year-old brain: But why? But why. But why. But why. And none of the grown-ups can answer you.” Her post unpacks this “black hole in your brain” filled with all of the questions and none of the answers.
Lastly, a two-fer from Of Needles and Noodles, who is tearing up the blogosphere this month with a post-a-day challenge. The first is a post about weather, island life, and an IVF cycle. What do you do when you’re dependent on a ferry to get you to your monitoring appointments? The other post begins: “It’s hard to explain the feeling of missing a family member who’s never been there to someone who has never experienced it.” I love this.
The roundup to the Roundup: Headphones were invented for a reason. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between October 18th and 25th) and not the blog’s main url. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week? Read the original open thread post here.
7 comments
Yes! I can’t believe people (and this goes for parents who let their kids do it too). There was a dad at the indoor pool my kids take lessons at who did this sitting in the bleachers—played loud music/shows/whatever. Frankly any level of phone/tablet noise in those types of situations is rude! No one wants to hear/watch your stuff!!! Our kids bring headphones on planes. Some parents just hand theirs a tablet with no headphones!
Oh my goodness – so incredible rude! I had to wait for a tire to be fixed recently and, in the waiting area with me, a woman was listening to loud music videos at such a tremendously high volume I was getting a headache. I could feel myself vibrating from the noise.
And the best part – she actually FELL ASLEEP while they continued to play. But only after eating a crunchy, smelly snack which littered the floor around her with crumbs she ignored.
What is wrong with people?
I’ve been encountering this on a regular basis too. The people who do this are 1) older, meaning they never were trained in smartphone social etiquette (I.e. no one ever took away their phone or asked them to leave) and 2) look so socially downtrodden that it’s clear their looking for confrontation.
Honestly, I’ve been putting the responsibility to police on the owner of the establishment. May medical offices now ban cell phone use and though there’s usually a scene, the offender is often quick to put things away when it’s clear the won’t be able to get into their appointment. Same with the pharmacy. I’ve also seen cashiers refuse to service someone who is talking on their phone or playing videos, usually with a manager nearby to back them up. It’s never comfortable to watch, but I also find money talks and positive feedback.
Sorry you had to suffer
Oh, good grief, that’s so rude. How infuriating. I saw someone face-timing in a public place a week or so ago, but it was the first time for me. I was shocked. My face probably said what I was thinking, and she hung up very quickly.
Klara wrote a piece about a NY Times article about infertility – what they got right, and what they got wrong. http://thenext15000days.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-lasting-trauma-of-infertility.html
I’m in the minority. It totally bothers me on a plane but in public places not so much, like the stores, drs., etc. I personally use my headphones for music, shows, etc. in public but I’m totally guilty of FaceTiming in public. Honestly, I don’t see it any different than someone taking a phone call in public. I wouldn’t do it in a quiet setting but most public places aren’t quiet anyways.
Thanks so much for the mention!
Oooof, the whole videos-sans-headphones thing – I’m somewhat less annoyed by the face-timing (somehow that mostly registers in my head as someone talking on the phone) but the videos grate on me. Sorry you had to deal with that!
I hear you. I once spent an entire 2.5 hours plane ride listening to the movie “Lilo & Stitch,” which two toddlers across the aisle were watching on a portable DVD player. No headphones. I forgave them, because they were just kids — the indulgent parents who set it all up for them, not so much…!