What you were dying to know about cell phones I


By Jim Ingebrigsten


s it just me … or are the cell phones in our hands getting out of hand? Not long ago, I was driving


down a residential street when I saw an


oncoming car pull


to the curb to let a pas- senger out. I lost sight of the person who chose to walk around the back of the car to cross the street. Anticipating she might not have seen me I slowed down somewhat. The young woman, not looking, stepped out in front of me forcing me to slam on the brakes. I leaned on the horn hop- ing the blast might wake the young lady up. She was in deep conversa- tion on her cell phone jammed to her ear blocking her view of me and the ton of steel, glass and plenty of plastic at my control. She was not concerned in the least that I could have hit her. Killed her! Annoyed at the sound of my horn, and without even looking up, she flipped me the bird, as we used to say. Welcome to the new chapter of defensive driving. So, I thought I’d get connected and, left to my devices, I’d do some research on the monster we created. Good and bad. We have all heard about cellphones possibly causing cancer, affecting men-


tal health, ruining relationships and causing automobile accidents. Fasten your seatbelts folks, get this: Parents spend more time on their de- vices that adults with no children. The average number of apps a user has in their phone is about 40. I’m a little behind. I counted 18 apps on my iPhone. There are more than 2 million of them avail- able.


The world population is coming up to 7.8 bil- lion but, there are about a billion more mobile connectors than people worldwide. 66% of


smartphone


Jim Ingebrigtsen Is It Just Me...


users say they are addict- ed. Most of those people admit they would much rather communicate with friends and fam- ily via Facebook, text,


email and messenger than to actually speak to them on the phone. Given the choice between giving up their mobile phone or going without sex for a year … yep, you guessed it. “Not tonight honey, I’ve got a headache … from be- ing on the phone all day”. It’s no surprise the top three coun- tries with the highest rates of cell phone subscriptions


are China (1.3


billion), India (1.2 billion) and the United States (328,000 million). Can- ada currently comes in around 40 on the list with 25.5 million smartphone owners and that number is expected to


An appropriate traffic warning sign spotted in Germany for smartphone zombies.


grow to 32 million next year meaning more than 80% of Canadians could be on cell phones. The Canadian Internet Registration


Authority (who knew?) recently pub- lished its annual report on all-things internet related to us Canadians. Here are some tidbits from that report: Only one in five people surveyed had been disconnected for eight hours straight. Three-quarters of Canadians surf the web while watching TV. Nine per cent of Canadians completed their education online; 16% found a home


online; 22% found a job online; 10% found a spouse online; 64% shop on- line with Canadian retailers and 46% of Canadians admit to using their phone in the bathroom. Oh, come on, who hasn’t done that? Finland was once the world leader in cell phone use. In 2000 they created an international Cell Phone Throwing contest. What a wonderful idea. If we held that contest here, I would like to enter using the phone owned by that young woman who flipped me the bird.


Life is a cabaret; it’s all about re-inventing yourself and living intensely, every day!


your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a cabaret old chum . . .” Unfor- tunately too many people do not really hear the meaning in this lyric. As we are aging, we need to respect that message and make every effort to live up to it. Recently I have had a


K


chance to catch up with many friends


from my


past and see where their lives have taken them. So many of them are mov- ing forward and doing wonderful things instead of


flatlining. They are


actively pursuing activi- ties that makes them feel alive and happy to be in this life. We are not talk- ing youngsters here but friends that are well into their seventies. One of these friends discovered a pas- sion for art and has made it so much a part of her life that not only does she do her own art but is teaching and judg- ing around North America. Last year she began a new phase teaching in for- eign locations and she has been leading groups of artists in Spain, in Iceland, and soon, in Scotland. She gathers to- gether a group of artists and they work on their art and their soul and well-be- ing with meditation and touring. She is such a humble person and her art has been recognized and sought after


all


over Canada but she would be loath to brag about it. She is a model for all of us in our seventies as she is just beginning to hit her stride as an artist and a teacher. Another of our longtime friends has


been an artist all her life. She taught art in the public schools for many years.


August 2019 Jim Pappas


ander and Ebb wrote a wonder- ful song that begins as follows: “What good is sitting alone in


Lately she has been investigating and exploring new avenues with various mediums for her art. This has given her new vigour as she goes about trying new things. At almost 75, not only is she do- ing what she loves, but she is exploring new depths in her person- al life. We have forged a new connection as she and I explore life after seventy. Both of these women have been friends since University days and we are still in contact and in support of one another. My friend, Joan, teases me that I have constantly re-invented


myself and


that is somewhat true. Af- ter 45 years in the fashion industry, I felt that there were many other challeng- es to address. One is, of course, to keep your brain


active and alert not just by doing cross- word puzzles, Sudoku or word search. There is a vital need to engage with life and part of that is not allowing your past relationships to grow stale. You need to reach out to younger people and begin to get to know them and discover things that they will teach you. I am not say- ing your children, but people that you meet and work alongside with at vol- unteering. And volunteering is a really good way to keep yourself alive. After she retired, one of my friends went to the Winnipeg Zoo and signed on as a volunteer as she has always been a lover of animals and nature. She finds this so fulfilling that she cannot wait to get to work every week.


I try also to get my friends involved in


projects that I work on and to urge them to participate. One friend, Linda, who is a dedicated volunteer has taken a step in the water, at 70, to go back to acting


Jim Pappas (lower left) with Jan Currier (lower right), Tom Dercola (upper left) and Wayne Rogers (upper right) representing CJNU out in the community at a fundraising dinner.


in a local theatre troupe. She is finding this an energizing experience and loves the rehearsal period and the people she meets. Besides that, she volunteers at about three other organizations


that


benefit children. She is as lively and connected to the world around her as ever. She is still full of energy and fun and having a great time as she re-invents herself after a long career in service. Another friend, at 75, has renewed his


interest in flying. He is doing as much time in the air as he can manage. Still another, at age 70, decided that sky div- ing was something he always wanted to try and now he goes several times a sum- mer to do it. Yet another has ignited his passion for cooking and is constantly ex- perimenting in the kitchen, and feeding his friends to boot, at age 78. Another friend, widowed at age 80, decided that it was time to get back into life and has met a charming man of 82 with whom she is enjoying a great rela- tionship. They both love to cook and do things such as dining out, and going to concerts and events in the community.


There is no rush to anything resembling marriage what they have is the best of all worlds. They live in their own homes but keep close tabs on one another and enjoy doing things together. Could this be re-inventing yourself, as well? Yes, I believe it is as they are moving ahead with their lives and not looking back- ward.


Since I began my volunteer work at CJNU, I have discovered that a whole new world opened up to me. The love of music that I inherited from my moth- er has paid off in many ways. I love doing the research for my shows every week and it brings me into contact with many wonderful people who also give their time to the station as well as their expertise.


As for me I will never be sitting alone


in my room. Life is truly a cabaret and, if you have to re-invent yourself to enjoy it, then why not take the risk? We are all alive and have much to give to life yet…..get busy and get back into life. Listen to “A Class Act with Jim Pappas”, Mondays from 1 to 3:30 CJNU 93.7 FM.


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