Interstitial

The little glass fondleslabs
Were not the first to rob us of the interstices
But they were, truth be told,
Leaps and bounds, the most effective

While you waited in line, it was all too tempting
To whip it out of your pocket and, into its warm glow, plunge in
Better, during the commute, to plug in the headphones and listen
To scan the headlines or pursue whatever was the latest distraction

Versatile too, the mobile package, if charged,
Could supply essentially unlimited attractions
But this was not new, a thick broadsheet unfolded carefully
Could divert you to yesterday's news just as easily

But the convenience was the difference,
Oh so unobtrusive and frictionless,
Deployed in a single motion from one's pocket,
One handed operation supported
One click and you were transported

A paradox of modernity, no more idle chat while you wait for the bus
It's enough to make you wonder, what paradise have we lost?
And so I, for one, bemoan the loss of friction
The interstitial is on the brink of extinction

Interstitial, a playlist

As is my custom, a soundtrack for this note. (spotify version)

• Dodgin' Your Phone by Dwele
  Although ostensibly about dodging phone calls, I'll repurpose Dwele and David Banner's collaboration to be about eschewing the phone entirely, but then I'm a Luddite.
• I Don't Mind The Waiting by Omar
  Waiting Game was originally intended for this playlist but the deep cuts from the This in Not a Love Song album aren't available online. 'Tis quite the pity
• Idle Moments by Grant Green
  Any excuse to hear some Grant Green. Spread the word.
• Sitting And Waiting by Dave Barker & The Upsetters
  Lee "Scratch" Perry was on a roll
• What Am I Waiting for? by The O'Jays
  Survival is the name of the game.
• I'm still waiting by Courtney Pine
  There's a sweetness and sense of ease that runs through the Closer to Home album.

See previously

• Idleness Outlawed
• What Paradise Have We Lost?
• Waiting for Godot (Khayelitsha)

Timing is everything
Observers are worried

This note is part of a series: In a covidious time

File under: life, technology, attention, social, culture, phone, perception, communication, adoption, poetry, norms, whimsy, observation, covidious, Observers are worried, Social Living, toli

Writing log: May 1, 2021