Will winter ever leave? The last time I managed to escape winter was in January and February 2020 before the pandemic made its way into our lives. Bob and I went to Portugal for 6 weeks. We had an amazing time. Travel provides so many opportunities for relaxation and for growth. Experiencing a culture different from your own broadens your horizons. Side walk cafes are everywhere in Portugal. They are a place for tourists to take a load off their tired feet and enjoy refreshments. To the Portuguese, the neighbourhood café is a place for people to gather and socialize. It is often the social hub of the community. Tim Horton’s sometimes serves the same purpose here for a variety of groups. My brother was a part of such a group where his buddies would gather once a week to share stories from the past. In Portugal it was a daily occurrence at the café near our apartment. A group of men would gather every day for noisy conversations and a lot of laughter.
My generation liked long conversations on the phone, when our parents would permit it. We went to school dances and watched the high school teams after school. Sometimes we even managed to get to a theater to watch a movie. My children got together with their friends to socialize and often used the house phone for conversations with friends. They went to house parties and school events. We all interacted in person with our friends. The younger generation today are taking a different approach to socializing. Technology has changed the way that young people socialize. More often than not the phone screen has become the social vehicle. Texting seems to be the way to go these days. Sometimes they chat with friends on the phone but it is rarer than it used to be. There are still school dances and school games but the phone is available 24/7 and seems to be an umbilical cord that binds kids together.
The special language of texting escapes some parents. POS – Parent over shoulder is a warning to the person they are texting to watch what they say. We really can’t be sure who kids are talking to. It’s a predator’s paradise for some vulnerable young people. Keeping an eye on your children and their friends is even more important these days.
There are also predator’s out there looking for older people who are lonely, gullible and vulnerable. It amazes me the number of scams that are ever present on the internet and over our phones. If it sounds too good to be true it is, still holds true. No, you didn’t win a million dollars which will be delivered to your account if you just click this button and give them all of your banking information. No that’s not your grandson on the phone asking for money to keep him out of jail.
Keeping our eyes open and watching for red flags will prevent a lot of grief. Listen to your gut it’s always right.
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